Boys And Girls
by CSI1983
Summary: When a young woman from Sara's apartment block is murdered, the team is pushed into a love triangle so twisted that it is almost too hard to believe.  GSR
1. Chapter 1

Boys And Girls

Chapter One - Mislaid Scars.

Sara Sidle was enjoying her two days off. It was the first weekend that she didn't have to work in months, and she was planning to mope, watch lots of T.V and order takeaways. Once she took the trash out anyway. Still in her pyjama's, she pulled on her robe and grabbed the bag of trash that sat beside the front door, before padding downstairs. It was a nice bright day but that was hardly rare in a place like Vegas. She headed to the side of her apartment block where the large bins were stored and lifted the lid of the closest one. For some reason, she had no idea why, she paused after she lifted the lid. She placed the lid back down carefully, hoping that what she saw was nothing more then a fragment of her over tired, over worked imagination. She dropped the bag to the ground and went back upstairs and found the latex gloves that she kept laying around her house, before heading back downstairs. She carefully lifted the lid again and pushed aside some rubbish, her breathe catching in her throat. So much for a nice day off. She pulled out her cell phone and dialled 911.

* * *

Sara waited for the small team to arrive. She had given Brass her statement, watched as they taped off the area which unfortunately included her apartment and watched the crowd gather. She had never in her life been so relieved to see Gil Grissom come striding towards her purposefully, his case in hand, Greg Sanders, Nick Stokes, Catherine Willows and Warrick Brown following in single file behind him. Gil Grissom was the one thing in her life that she could not explain. He was like the bad habit she could not recover from, the one thing that kept her on her toes. If she thought about it long enough, Sara knew that her real feelings would come to surface, and that was the one thing she wanted to avoid, she knew that her true feelings would leave her without the control she counted on to keep herself within the boundaries she had set herself. For her sake as much as his.

"So this is your idea of a day off is it?"

Grissom gave Sara a world weary smile, his eyes travelling over her attire.

"Don't look at me like that. Don't tell me that you don't lounge around in your PJ's on your day off."

Grissom just shrugged and moved toward the bin, pulling his gloves on.

"What happened here?"

"I came out to take out the trash and I found a body in my bin. I didn't see the face, just a leg. Called 911, knew you guys could not stay away."

Grissom gave Sara a small nod before moving under the tape and closer to the open bin. He took some shots of the surrounding areas, the blood he found on the side of the bin and next too it, before allowing Catherine to help him examine the body somewhat.

"Ok she's naked, severe head injury. We have a wallet here. Elizabeth Jennings"

Sara was at his side in an instant pulling on another pair of latex gloves.

"Did you just say Elizabeth Jennings?"

Grissom nodded, letting Sara through as she reached her arm into the bin, turning the victims head slightly. She let out a gasp and pushed herself away from the bin and back under the tape, her eyes filling with tears. Grissom glanced at Catherine, who nodded, and then he followed Sara who was leaning against one of the police cars, her shoulders shaking slightly.

"Sara?"

Sara turned to face Grissom, tears falling from her eyes unchecked.

"I know her Grissom. She lives on the same floor as me. I just saw her last night…"

Sara started crying again. Large tears falling onto her robe, making the light blue a shade darker. Grissom took of his gloves and fished around in his pocket before handing her a large white handkerchief.

"It's clean."

Sara took the handkerchief, wiping her eyes and then blowing her nose, taking some deep breaths.

"I want to work this case Grissom. Please."

Grissom took a moment to consider his options. Saying no to Sara wasn't a choice. He knew that she would find a way to be involved, so he was better off with her full on the deck. And she might have a better chance of talking to the parents. Sometimes a friendly face is easier then a strangers.

"Fine. But if you fee like you can't go any further at any point, I need you to tell me. That is my only condition."

Sara nodded, giving herself a few more seconds to gather her wits before moving to where Brass was standing.

"Hey Brass I need to go and get dressed. Pyjamas are not so good for interviews."

Brass nodded and made a clear way for her to get back into her building without disturbing evidence. Sara dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of jeans and a red T-shirt, her heart pounding. She was nervous about talking to Elizabeth's mother. What was she meant to say? How do you tell someone that their only daughter is dead? She had told people before that people that they loved were dead but she didn't live in the same building as those people. Those people she could leave behind in their grief. After shoving her feet into her boots, she ran back downstairs to meet up with Grissom. Her hands were still shaking slightly, and her mind was still trying to process what she found and what was coming next. She waited while Grissom left instructions for the others and lead him to Elizabeth's apartment, pausing before she knocked on the door. Elizabeth's mother, Mary opened the door immediately, as if expecting them, as if part of her knew what was happening. She said nothing when she saw Sara, her eyes flicking over her shoulder, taking in Grissom and Brass as they stood silently behind her, before moving aside to allow them access to the apartment. Even though Sara had been in the home before, for some reason today it seemed duller, less lively now that she knew that Elizabeth would never be back here.

"So what did Elizabeth do this time? Shoplifting again?"

Grissom exchanged a look with Sara, wanting to know if she could do this herself. Sara took a seat beside Mary, making sure to face her and that she held the women's eyes in her own.

"Elizabeth's body was found this morning. We believe that she was murdered."

Mary looked at Sara for a long moment, looked at Brass and Grissom, taking in their serious faces, and then she started to shake, as if her whole body had been hit by a cold breeze.

"Elizabeth's dead?"

Sara nodded and watched as Mary started to cry, her body folding in on itself so that her head was in her own lap, her shoulders buried in her neck, her body now shaking from the sobs that tore from her throat. It took a few minutes before the sobs stopped, Mary taking a few deep breaths before looking at Sara again.

"What happened to her? Who found her?"

Sara took the woman's hands in her own, making sure she was looking at her again.

"I found her Mary. She had been hit over the head judging from the initial findings, but the coroner will be confirming that later. We're not sure what happened yet, that's why we're here. We need to know about what Elizabeth was doing, who her friends were and if she had any enemies."

Mary clutched at Sara's hands, as if she where her only anchor.

"Elizabeth had many friends. She was meant to stay at her best friends place last night, her name is Melissa Guthrie; she lives in an apartment on the strip. She helped Elizabeth at school when she was having trouble settling in."

Grissom stepped forward at that point, kneeling down so that he was eye level with Mary.

"Mrs Jennings, was Elizabeth into anything suspicious?"

Mary rolled her eyes at Grissom.

"She's sixteen. I knew only what I was allowed to know. This of course was nothing. The only friend I knew about was Melissa. She will know a lot more then I do."

Grissom nodded and moved away from the women again, hearing Sara talk in a low voice as the woman broke down again. Grissom pulled Brass aside and talked in a low voice.

"Track down this Melissa Guthrie. We need to find out everything about Elizabeth."

Brass nodded and moved out of the room, and back down stairs. Grissom turned back to the women; Sara now had her arms around Mary as more sobs shook her body. She indicated Grissom closer with a hand over Mary's shoulder.

"Can you call her husband and her son? Her husband is Frank, he works at the local high school, and Lucas should be there too. Tell them to hurry would you? I don't want to leave her alone."

Grissom nodded and moved into the hallway to make the calls. He needed a moment to figure out that to say.

Sara waited patiently for Mary's tears to subside again, but they never did. Frank and Lucas arrived in moments; their faces in a state of shock, Lucas gathered his mother into his arms, giving Sara a chance to talk to Frank.

"Sara is it true? Elizabeth's dead?"

Sara could do nothing but nod as tears slipped from her own eyes as the big man crumbled before her, his big arms wrapping themselves around his family, encasing them from the world. Sara followed Grissom out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her, leaving the family to deal with their grief. She paused for a moment, leaning against the closest wall, trying to gather her bearings; she was shaky and no longer in control of the tears that were falling from her eyes. She could feel Grissom watching her, was deeply aware of his presence now that she didn't want him there.

"Are you okay, Sara?"

Sara shook her head, unable to speak for fear of sobbing out loud. She had left the handkerchief he had given her on her bed, wishing she hadn't. She could just imagine what a picture she was, all snotty and bedraggled. Before Grissom could say or do anything else, Warrick had come bounding up the stairs. He took in the sobbing Sara and the startled Grissom standing in front of her before pulling Sara into a gentle hug. When she opened her eyes again, Grissom had gone and it was just her and Warrick standing in the hall.

"You okay?"

Sara nodded, wiping her face on the back of her hand. She took some deep breaths, trying to shake the horrible feeling of weightlessness, Warrick's arm still loosely around her waist. Warrick began leading her down the hall towards her apartment, his voice low and gentle.

"Why don't you go and get yourself sorted, get a coat and stuff. You going to be ok, or do you want me to keep you company?"

Sara nodded, giving Warrick a watery smile.

"You can come with if you want. Just ignore the mess will you? I was going to clean up today."

Warrick gave her a small smile before following her into her apartment, making himself comfortable on the sofa, while Sara moved into the bathroom. When she came back into the living room, Warrick was flicking through the TV channels, switching it off when she came further into the room.

"So how long have you known the Jennings family?"

Sara paused before she grabbed her cell phone and keys.

"About four years I think. Elizabeth showed up with cookies just after I moved in. You wanna take this spare key? Just in case anyone needs the bathroom or anything?"

Warrick nodded as he followed Sara back out of her apartment and out of the block where Catherine and Greg were just finishing off the scene, Nick helping load the body and Grissom talking to Brass. Sara put her coat on, the shock of the events making her feel cold. She put the packet of tissues she had decided to bring in her front pocket and moved over to Grissom and Brass.

"Did you find Melissa?"

Brass nodded.

"I was going to send an officer but Grissom said that you may want to be in on this. So here's the address. I'm off to interview the victim's family, see if I can make any ends meet on her death. Call if you need anything."

Grissom nodded and watched as Brass disappeared in the building again, before turning back to Sara.

"You okay?"

Sara nodded, pulling the tissues from her front pocket, waving them at Grissom.

"I'm prepared for next time."

Grissom nodded.

"So shall we go and see Melissa then?"

Sara nodded and hopped into the truck with Grissom, waving at Warrick as they pulled away from her apartment. She was feeling a lot more stable now that the shock had worn off somewhat and the scientist in her was demanding an explanation for Elizabeth's death. This was why she did what she did.

"So can you tell me anything about Elizabeth?"

Sara thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Nothing substantial. I'm always working and she's got school. I only really saw her on my days off or before she went out on the weekends."

Grissom nodded as he negotiated the traffic which was getting thicker.

"So how come dayshift isn't doing this case?"

Grissom swung to the left as a red car decided to pass without looking.

"Brass mentioned the address and how it was you who called it in and we decided to take it."

Sara sat silently as Grissom pulled in front of the block of apartments that the report Brass had given them indicated. It was nothing flash, the building's flaking paint and rusty steps the same as any other on the strip. It was cheap housing for those without much money. Grissom and Sara both stepped carefully into the building, choosing to go up the stairs then in the elevator which looked like it hadn't been used in over a decade. They found Melissa's apartment easily and waited for a response to their knock. A small dark haired girl pulled the door open, the chain still across the door, her dark eyes hidden behind some thick glasses.

"Yes?"

Sara moved forward, holding out her ID for the girl to see.

"I'm Sara Sidle, this is Gil Grissom, we're here to talk to you about Elizabeth Jennings"

The girl said nothing, eyeing them up for a full ten seconds before the door was closed, the rattling of chain heard then the door swung open with a loud creak. The apartment was small; the living room was a mess, a TV sitting in the corner, a sofa and not much else. There were chip packets, and soda cans laying everywhere.

"Are you Melissa?"

The girl nodded, her hands slipping into the pockets of her faded jeans, which hung on her rather slim frame.

"I've heard about you from Elizabeth. What is going on with her?"

Sara glanced at Grissom, mentally questioning who would tell her. Grissom moved forward, relieving her of the job.

"She was found murdered this morning. According to her mother, she was meant to be here last night."

Melissa said nothing, just sat heavily on the sofa behind her, her hair falling in front of her face.

"She wasn't here. We hadn't spoken in a few weeks."

Sara exchanged a look with Grissom, before looking back at the girl.

"What do you mean? Her mother claims you guys were the best of friends."

Melissa looked back up, a smirk on her face.

"We were. Until some of the popular kids at school started paying attention to her and then we stopped talking but it looks like she's been using me as a cover to go out with those idiots."

Sara moved closer to the girl, kneeling beside her.

"We need their names. We need to find the person or persons who did this to Elizabeth. Do you know their names?"

Melissa looked at Sara nodding, her eyes filling with tears.

"How did she die?"

Sara pushed some of her own hair away from her face with the back of her hand, irritated by the little strands that kept escaping from behind her sunglasses.

"We don't know for sure until the coroner looks at her, but it looked like she was hit over the head."

Melissa nodded and took a pad the was lying near her feet and began writing.

"I'll also list some of the boys I know for a fact were sleeping with her. Find them and you are bound to find who killed her."

Sara watched as she wrote the list of names furiously.

"Why do you say that?"

Melissa kept her head down, her tears occasionally dropping onto the page.

"It's high school Miss Sidle. There are separate groups, rich snobs do not mix with normal kids. Elizabeth scared them."

"Why was that?"

Melissa gave Sara a watery smile.

"You knew her Miss Sidle. She was smart, really smart. Then they started paying attention to her and that was the end of the Elizabeth I knew. She still got good grades but that was it."

Sara took the list, handing it over to Grissom before turning back to Melissa.

"We're going to find who did this to Elizabeth. I'm going to make sure that they get what's coming to them."

Melissa nodded, pushing her glasses from her face as she rubbed her eyes.

"You had better find them before Mr. Jennings or Lucas does, otherwise there will be nothing left."

Sara handed the young girl a card with her cell phone number on it, making sure she had the girl's attention before she continued.

"You need anything, or remember anything else important, call me ok?"

The Melissa looked at Sara for a moment, studying her before she nodded slowly, obviously choosing to trust Sara.

"Just find the guy who did this to Elizabeth."

Sara nodded and moved back towards the door, following Grissom out, giving the girl a slight wave before closing the door behind them.

* * *

Sara had gotten a little bit of a rest since arriving back at headquarters three hours ago. Well to be precise, Grissom had dragged her into his office and made her lay down on the couch. She hadn't slept, couldn't sleep now that the past events were unfolding. Grissom had made some phone calls and after they heard back from Doc, they were going to interview some of the students. Sara was remembering the last time she had seen Elizabeth, how she was dressed and how she seemed. To Sara she seemed perfectly happy, her normal cheery self. She had been wearing a red miniskirt and a dark blue tank top when Sara had last seen her alive, she had come over for some advice on her math homework. She had stayed an hour, Sara had shown her how to work out the question and then with a quick hug, she had left. That is what broke her heart. The fact that Elizabeth had so much to offer the world, so much talent, and then some shallow ass took that away from her. Now it was up to Sara and the rest of the team to make sure that that person paid for what they had done to Elizabeth.

"Did you actually sleep?"

Sara was so busy thinking that she never heard the door open, or noticed Grissom standing over her, a coffee in each hand.

"Nope. I was just sitting here thinking about Elizabeth. She wanted to be a CSI just like us. She worked so hard on her grades, and if she got stuck she always came to me for help. She was so excited when she first found out I was a CSI."

Grissom said nothing just sat behind his desk letting her talk, placing the cups of coffee on the desk. Sara had now sat up, the rug he had placed on her before now around her shoulders. She looked so tired, even though not much time had passed in the day, the grief she felt was on her face, which was now drawn and her eyes rimmed red from the crying. She had paused for a breath long enough to take a sip of coffee, her eyes flicking open in surprise.

"This is Hawaiian Blue. You found Greg's stash?"

Grissom shook his head, his own hands wrapping around his cup.

"Nope. He said that you could drink as much as you needed. His way of offering his condolences I guess."

Sara nodded and took another sip of the strong brew, silently sending her thanks to Greg for his thoughtfulness.

"I'm sorry about before"

Sara narrowed her eyes at Grissom.

"What? Did you do something?"

Grissom shrugged.

"I'm not used to seeing you cry. It still startles me sometimes. I should have done something in the hallway…"

Sara smiled a little.

"I never want you to get used to seeing me cry. It still surprises me when I do it. And don't worry about it, Warrick saved the day. How come you left?"

Grissom picked up a pen and began to doodle on a piece of paper near his hand, wanting to avoid her gaze.

"You look like you needed to be alone with him."

He heard Sara sputter on her coffee, heard what sounded like laughter come from within her. When he finally looked up, Sara was leaning back against the couch, tears streaming down her face, laughter shaking her body. It took a few minutes before she pulled herself together, wiping her face with the edge of her sleeve.

"Man, I needed that. Do actually believe that there is something between Warrick and me?"

Grissom said nothing, but he didn't have too. Sara could tell by his body language and by the way he was looking at her, his blue eyes serious that he fully believed that there was something between her and Warrick.

"Grissom, rest assured there is nothing there. Warrick is well Warrick. I know him to well to be interested. Same goes for Greg and Nick. How did you come around to thinking that?"

Again Grissom said nothing, and Sara could see that he was now feeling foolish, his whole attention now on the mug of coffee before him. Sara felt the sudden urge of regret, making Grissom feel foolish was definitely not on her to do list. Before she could say anything, her beeper sounded, followed closely by Grissom's. It was Doc. Sara exchanged a quick glance with Grissom before standing, and pushing the rug off of her shoulders and moving out of his office, moving swiftly toward the morgue. Her dark mood came again, the laughter in Grissom's office now forgotten as her true purpose again came into view. Justice for Elizabeth and her family.

"What you got for us?"

Doc raised his head as Sara and Grissom both entered his place of work at the same time, instantly taking in Sara's tear stained face and hollow eyes. Brass had told him that this girl was a neighbour and friend, and important to Sara. Doc had made sure everything was in place to try and close this case as soon as possible.

"Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, which in all essence crushed her skull. There was no sign of sexual trauma, no signs of torture or binding. I did however find something that is rather surprising. Elizabeth was pregnant."

Sara gripped the table that held Elizabeth's body, trying to keep her balance as the world spun around her.

"How far along was she?"

Doc handed Grissom the examine results.

"Five months. When you catch the person who did this you can have them up for two murders. It wasn't just Elizabeth that they killed. I took a sample from the baby to try and get match to your perps that you have coming in for questioning. Sara are you ok?"

Sara nodded as she continued to clutch at the table. She was looking over Elizabeth's body, her eyes going from the wound on her head to the long red hair that she had seen more often then not, tied back in a ponytail.

"Was there any evidence of a struggle?"

Doc shook his head.

"Nope she knew the person who did this. There was nothing under her finger nails, no defence wounds anywhere."

Sara nodded again and moved out of the morgue, stopping at a rubbish bin, her stomach rejecting what little food she had eaten recently. She heard Grissom approach her, felt him pull her hair back, holding it loosely in his hands. She stayed where she was until she was certain that the wave of nausea had gone before she stood up, her hair moving back into place as Grissom released it.

"You ok?"

Sara nodded, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

"I am going to go and brush my teeth. I'll meet you in the interview rooms."

Sara turned on her heel and left before Grissom could answer. He watched her leave, her steps brisk and long as always, her head held high. But today there was no spark. She had her drive and determination but her spark was absent. This case was going to be hard on her. Harder then she may even expect. Grissom went to the interview rooms, and watched through the glass at a young girl that was sitting there, her mother by her side. The girl was pretty by society's standards, with long blonde hair, a slender figure and wide blue eyes; she was what most would call 'teen dream'. Her name was Brooke James, and she was according to Melissa on of Elizabeth's new 'friends.' Grissom entered the room quietly; there was no need for any kind of fear tactics, not at the moment anyway.

"Hello Brooke, my name is Gil Grissom and I'm one of the people working on this case and I would like to ask you a few questions."

Brooke said nothing, just nodded ever so slightly, her blonde hair falling in front of her face. Her mother gave her a jab and Brooke pushed her hair off her face and sat a little straighter.

"Sure Mr Grissom, whatever way I can help."

Grissom looked between mother and daughter for a second, an idea forming in his head.

"Mrs James, do you mind if I talk to your daughter alone?"

Mrs James looked a little taken back, a scowl forming on her face.

"And why would you want to do that?"

Grissom eased forward, a small smile playing on his lips, his tone friendly and light.

"We were both sixteen once; surely you remember what it was like. I don't want to invade your daughter's privacy anymore then I have to, and having you here might keep her quite when I need her to talk. Do you understand?"

Mrs James passed a glance between Grissom and the pleading eyes of her daughter.

"Well alright. But don't answer anything you don't want to ok honey?"

Brooke nodded and as soon as her mother closed the door behind her, she visibly sagged, her body half slipping down the chair, sitting in the fashion of a sixteen year old.

"Thank goodness she has gone. What do you want to know?"

Grissom sat back in his seat, matching the young woman's body language.

"How long have you known Elizabeth Jennings?"

The young girl started playing with the loose threads on her sleeve, taking on a bored unconcerned look.

"Bout 10 years. She is a nerd though so I never was friends with her really."

Grissom took out the picture of Elizabeth on the morgue slab, pushing in front of the girl. It took her a second or two to register what was in front of her, Grissom used this to his advantage.

"Elizabeth was found dead earlier this morning. Do you know anything about her death?"

Brooke continued to stare at the picture, tears swelling up in her eyes. She took a deep breath before responding to Grissom's question.

"I was out at the club with her last night. We danced, had a few drinks then she left, said she was going to get a taxi. How did she die?"

Grissom pointed to the visible wound on Elizabeth's head.

"Her skull was crushed. We need you to sign a statement and give us the clothes you wore last night. What was the name of the club Brooke?"

Brooke signed the piece of paper and paused before leaving the room.

"Dream Weaver. The club's name is Dream Weaver"

Sara entered just after the door closed.

"Who was that?"

Grissom took Elizabeth's picture off the table and slipped it into the folder he had with him. Even though Sara had just seen Elizabeth's body there was no need for her to see it again.

"First name on the list, Brooke James. She said that they went out last night, had a few drinks then Elizabeth went home. Caught a taxi apparently."

Sara nodded and took a seat next to Grissom, looking at the paper in front of him that had the club name written on it.

"Dream Weaver, sounds like a drug hot spot if you ask me. Who's next on our list?"

Grissom looked at the paper in front of him.

"That would be Jessica Anderson. Brass is bringing her in now."

Sara sat back in her seat and waited, something she had never been very good at. As a scientist, you are expected to wait for a lot of things, but it was a skill that Sara had yet to master. She wanted to get up and move, wanted to do something to feel productive, but decided to sit still, making a conscious effort to stay quite.

"Once we have interviewed the last of these kids, I'll give you a ride home."

Sara shook her head.

"Nah I'll get a ride with a taxi when I'm ready to go. I don't think I can sleep at home anyway."

Grissom turned to Sara, his eyes questioning.

"Why is that?"

Sara shrugged.

"Because Elizabeth's family will be wanting answers. And they'll come to me and I don't want to have to tell them that we have nothing as of yet."

Grissom nodded his understanding, shocking himself with his response.

"Understandable. You came come and stay at my house if you like."

Sara said nothing, the shocking offer rendering her silent. Grissom on the other hand was scrambling to pick up his verbal mess.

"I mean, I have a spare room, it has an ensuite. The offer is there if you want it Sara. It will be no inconvenience to me."

Before Sara could string together a response, Jessica walked into the room, heels clattering loudly. Sara got into interview mode, welcoming the distraction from Grissom's offer.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Bed Of Lies 

Sara never got another chance to think about Grissom's offer, in fact truth be told, she forgot. She was busy going over the statements that they had collected over the last few hours, trying to tell the lies from the truth. They had all been to the club that they had claimed to be at, so the stories came together neatly. It made Sara a little suspicious that the stories were so tidy but she knew that it could happen.

"Have you thought about my offer?"

Sara shrugged as she pushed the statements into the manila file, sitting back in her chair.

"Not really. I got a phone call earlier from Mary about the case. We are both invited to the funeral when the body gets released."

Grissom nodded, even though Sara didn't see him, she still had her back to him. He could see the exhaustion in the slump of her shoulders, the way her head hung low to the table and the way her voice was low and steady, like she was talking in her sleep.

"Well you need to think about it. You need to sleep at some point."

Sara turned in her seat, her tired eyes flashing a challenge.

"If I do, you do too. You have been here just as long as I have."

Grissom indicated the folder with his thumb.

"Do you want to bring those home with you?"

Sara nodded, grabbing the file off the table and following Grissom out the door.

"Do you mind if we go past my house so I can pack a bag?"

Grissom nodded keys in his hand. He didn't know whether to be excited or anxious about Sara coming to his home. He felt the need to protect her, a feeling that was different to the way he felt about the rest of his team. He had felt his blood boil when Warrick had given Sara a hug, felt a flush of jealousy that she had turned to Warrick and not himself for comfort. When she was picked up for DUI, he had held her hand and then taken her home, when she had broken down about her parent's, he had again held her hand and sat with her while she cried. He for once wanted to be brave enough, strong enough to pull her into a hug. Tell her what he wanted, what he needed from her. He wanted to know what he needed to be for her.

They drove silently to Sara's apartment, Grissom settling himself on her sofa while she scurried around throwing things into a suitcase. After about ten minutes she dragged her suitcase back into the living room and was about to say something when there was a knock on her door. She shook her head at Grissom when he opened his mouth, making a point of stepping carefully and silently to the door, peeping through the spy hole in the centre. Mary Jennings was standing outside of the door, a large basket of muffins in her arms. Sara watched as the older woman sighed and made her way back to her own apartment. She turned back to Grissom, a wave of guilt making her question her now seemingly lame reaction.

"Am I such a terrible person for wanting to avoid her?"

Grissom shook his head, moving to stand dragging the suitcase into a standing position.

"I am surprised you have avoided her for this long. You are not a terrible person Sara; you don't need to added pressure from the family on this case. You done packing?"

Sara said nothing just moved into the little kitchen and started pulling some containers out of the freezer, loading them into a brown paper bag. Grissom moved into the kitchen, standing near the entrance.

"What are you doing?"

Sara picked up the now full bag, pushing the freezer closed with her shoulder, turning back to Grissom with a small smile.

"Comfort food."

Grissom followed her back to the front door, pulling her suitcase behind him as she paused and made sure the coast was clear before moving into the small hallway, locking the door behind them. They moved swiftly back to his truck, loading her suitcase and comfort food into the back seat before beginning the somewhat long drive to Grissom's town house.

"I was going to ask you earlier but we were interrupted. Are you allergic to dogs?"

Sara shot Grissom a suspicious look before shaking her head.

"No, why?"

"Because I happen to be dog sitting for my neighbours. Someone died unexpectantly and they couldn't leave her alone so they came and asked me to look after her and I said that it was fine."

Sara smiled again.

"That explains the dog hair that you have had on your clothing. What kind of dog is she?"

Grissom turned into his driveway, pausing at the mailbox.

"Charlie is a Labrador. She's been here for almost a week, and the family has no idea when they will be back. She is great company though."

Sara sat back in her seat, quietly surprised by Grissom's announcement of dog sitting. This man who she had always presumed lived for his work, had friends outside of work. People who trusted him enough to leave their dog with him. Sara liked knowing new things about him, liked knowing that she was one of the few who did. Grissom opened the front door for her, where she was just about bowled over by a honey colored hurricane.

"She's not a very good guard dog. She wants to be friends with everyone."

Grissom let Sara get acquainted with Charlie before moving more into the house.

"I know that you've been here before, so I'll just show you straight to your room."

He was once again carrying Sara's suitcase, making her feel decidedly female. He led her to where she would be staying, Charlie following closely at his heels. The room was quite large, the walls an off white colour like the rest of the house, the walls covered in the same butterfly cases that Sara had seen in the living room. The bed itself was a double with a pretty faded green cover, pillows and a teddy-bear placed in the middle. It was neat tidy and organized. Very Grissom. The only thing that seemed out of place was a replica of a painting that Sara instantly recognised.

"Girl with a Pearl Earring. That is one of my very favourite paintings. Have you read the book?"

Grissom shook his head, letting the suitcase slide to a laying position on the floor, moving to stand behind looking at the painting over her shoulder.

"Nah, I prefer to let my imagination go on that one. I like how much mystery surrounds her, all because she was chosen for a painting."

Sara could feel Grissom's breath on the back of her neck; smell the familiar scent of his skin. She could feel the little hairs on the back of her neck start to raise, her nerves pulling to the point of no return. He was too close. Sara moved away from the painting, in what she hoped was a not overly obvious gesture, moving towards what she presumed was the bathroom. Her en suite was a pretty pale blue, a toilet in the furtherest corner and a shower across from it. There was no tub, but Sara wasn't too bothered, she preferred showers over baths anyway.

"This is above the call of duty letting me crash here. You know that right?"

Grissom shrugged non-committedly.

"Where else would you go? Greg's place is a pit, Nick and Warrick would have girls going in and out and Catherine has Lindsey. And I think if you stayed with her, I would properly be investigating your murder in no time."

Sara had to laugh. He had hit the nail on the head in true Grissom fashion.

"You might want to get your comfort food into the freezer before it melts. I'll get you some clean towels for the bathroom."

Sara watched him go down the hallway toward his room, before taking the brown paper bag off the bed and heading into the kitchen. She had just finished loading the last of her comfort food into the freezer in amongst the frozen meals mixed vegetables and ice-cream when there was a loud knock on the door. Charlie responded enthusiastically, her whole body wiggling from side to side. Sara froze for a moment before deciding to answer it; Grissom was obviously still trying to sort out her bathroom. She swung open the door to find a teenage boy standing on the doormat, one hand with a large plate of cookies the other held a large plastic container which Sara cannot see into. His hair was somehow all spiked up to make him resemble a hedgehog; his clothes were all black despite the sunny weather. He smiled when Charlie came to greet him, leaving quickly when she realised that he could not scratch her ears.

"Hi, is Mr. Grissom here?"

Sara nodded her eyes still on the youth as she yelled over her shoulder.

"Grissom! You have a guest!"

Grissom came quickly, breaking into a smile at the sight of the youth on the step.

"Travis! How are you?"

Sara watched as the boy broke into a shy smile and moved past her and into the house.

"I'm good thanks Mr. Grissom. I brought over my report card like you said. Oh and Mom sent this for you. I also have something to show you. It's really cool."

He handed Grissom the plate of cookies.

"I told her you liked the chocolate chip ones."

Grissom indicated the sofa, handing the cookies to Sara.

"Travis this is Sara, one of my colleges."

Sara shook the boy's hand, finding his grip surprisingly firm. She moved into the kitchen, leaving the guys alone but still being able to hear what was being said. Grissom was now sitting across from Travis, his hand held out.

"So show us this report card then."

Travis pulled a wrinkled looking piece of card from his pocket, handing it over to Grissom with a smile. Grissom read it silently, his expression letting nothing be known. When he was finished he studied Travis hard. Travis looked nervous, and Sara felt nervous for him. She was all too familiar with that famous penetrating gaze.

"Are you proud of how you have done this year Travis?"

Travis shrugged confusion on his face. He didn't know whether he should be proud or not.

"Well you should be. You have worked hard for this Travis. I'm very proud of you."

Travis broke into a wide grin, watching as Grissom eyed up the container now sitting beside the boy.

"So what did you want to show me aside from your report card?"

Travis pulled open the container, handing it over excitedly to Grissom.

"I found it yesterday, and it was the largest of the species that I have ever seen and I thought you might be interested."

Sara moved closer to the pair, her curiosity getting the better of her. In the container a dead butterfly was nestled on some cotton wool, the wings just touching the sides of the container.

"Danaus Plexippus. It is definitely one of the larger ones I have seen. Where did you find it Travis?"

Travis grinned excitedly.

"On my way home from school. I put it into a container carefully like you told me to."

Grissom urged Sara closer, moving over slightly for her to sit next to him.

"Sara this is a Monarch butterfly, and quite an unusual one at that. How big would you say its wingspan was?"

Sara studied the butterfly for a moment, doing mental measurements.

"About 7 inches."

Grissom nodded, handing her the container before reaching for one of his books.

"This is why it's an amazing find. Normally the wingspan is only about 3-4 inches."

He showed Sara a picture from the book and she could see the immediate difference in the wingspan.

"So what made this fella so big?"

Grissom shrugged.

"No idea. The only real growth that happens is before they vacate the cacoon. This guy is just a rare find is all. I'll give you the name of a good guy in town that does my glass cases Travis, I'm sure he'll give you a good deal."

Travis shook his head, a shy smile on his face.

"I want you to have it Mr. Grissom, to thank you for all that you have done for me."

Sara watched as a rare moment occurred of Grissom being speechless. She watched Travis, who looked a combination of shy and apprehensive and for a moment she was transported to her time in University when she had first met Grissom. He had this presence that was both incredibly intimidating and awe inspiring. She had been tense at the idea that this man would be teaching her class, she was excited but more worried that she would not be able to match his intelligence with her own. She need not have worried it turned out. Grissom was more then what she had expected him to be. And still was.

"I don't know what to say Travis. Are you sure? I mean this is a pretty rare find."

Travis nodded his head in the decidedly decisive way that Sara had seen many teenagers do.

"I'm sure. It will be more at home here then at my place anyway."

Grissom nodded in acceptance, his gaze connecting with Travis's, who surprised them both by throwing himself at Grissom, wrapping his lanky arm's around the older mans neck. It only lasted a few seconds but Sara could see Grissom had been affected, his posture softening, along with his eyes. Grissom stood making his way towards the kitchen.

"This calls for a celebration. Hot chocolate?"

Travis stood also, shaking his head.

"No thanks, Mr. Grissom. I have to get home, Mum made me promise to come right back. Can I get those books before I go?"

Grissom nodded and watched Travis head down the hall before turning to Sara.

"Sorry Sara, I forgot that he was going to come around today. Do you wanna have a sleep or do you want to go over those notes on the case?"

Sara held up her hand.

"Hold on. What is the story with Travis? Does he come here regularly?"

Grissom glanced down the hallway quickly, before turning back to Sara.

"I tutor him a couple of times a week. He has a passion for bugs and science but was failing all his other topics. His mother called me when she found out what I did for a living. It's been gone on for about six months. He's gone from a D average to a B average. Next year we will be aiming for A's but I'm happy with how quickly he has improved."

Sara said nothing, filing the new information away with the other odds and ends she had been collecting over the last few minutes. Like the fact that the work fridge was not his only place to put experiments, half his own fridge was filled with unknown objects and growth. She wondered for a moment how on earth Grissom had not been infected with a disease. She also took in the sheer volume of books he had in his collection, bookshelves lined almost every wall, each with at least four shelves, jammed to breaking point with hardcover and paperback books. Her fingers itched to go and run her fingers over each and every volume, to try and somehow get into Grissom's head, find out what made this man tick. Travis had reappeared, a large pile of books hiding most of his face. Grissom opened the door and waved the boy off before turning back to Sara.

"So what did you decide? Sleep or file?"

Sara thought for a second.

"I need to clear me head; I think I might go for a run. Do you want me to take Charlie?"

Grissom nodded.

"If you want to. She'll stay close to you even if you let her off the lead."

Sara nodded and moved into her room to get changed. She put on her running shorts, a sports bra and as an after thought threw on her light, grey hoody. She headed back to the kitchen where she grabbed a bottle of water and Charlie's lead which she had spotted earlier on one of the side tables.

"There is a nice runner's path just to the north of here. It should be quiet, everyone is at work."

Sara gave Grissom a quick nod, a small wave and them she was out the door. She started at a smooth pace, finding the path quickly and set about clearing her mind.

Two hours later, Sara arrived home sweaty and pleasantly worn, a tired looking Charlie at her heels. She moved into the kitchen where Grissom was cooking, a lovely smell filling the house, making her stomach rumble.

"Yum smells good. I didn't know you cooked."

Grissom smiled.

"Ah there is not much that anyone knows. Go have shower and then we can have something to eat."

Sara ignored him and moved closer to the stove, lifting the lid off one of the pots. Grissom moved forward quickly, pulling the lid from her grasp and putting it back on the pot before taking her by the shoulders and physically moving her out of the kitchen.

"Shower. Now."

Sara made no attempt to fight or discuss the order, a shower sounded like the perfect way to end the long jog she had just had. Her muscles hummed with the lack of movement, the shower soon dulling the aching, the hot water relaxing her whole body more then the run did. Regretfully she turned the water off and went back into her room to change. Finally settling on her black jeans and white tank top, she moved back into the living room, her hair still damp and hanging around her shoulders. She didn't have the energy or will to spend hours making sure it stayed straight. Tonight it could do as it pleased. Grissom had laid out garlic bread and salad on the dining room table with soft jazz playing on the CD player. For a second Sara thought that maybe this was more intimate then she could handle right now. She needed to sort out Elizabeth's case before she could even think about Grissom. She wanted to be with him, but she needed to not be distracted from this case. Grissom was just serving some food onto plates as Sara took a seat, her hunger getting the best of her.

"Callaloni. No meat, just spinach, ricotta cheese and plenty of sauce."

Grissom sat across from her and watched as she ate. He didn't often see her like she was now, scrubbed clean and with out anything between her and the world. Her hair had left some wet patches on her shirt and Grissom could see the strap of her black bra through the simple cotton. He quickly turned his attention back to the food. They ate in silence for a little longer, the scraping of cutlery and the soft jazz filling the void. Grissom finally broke the silence.

"Were you surprised?"

Sara swallowed her mouthful of pasta, chasing it with a gulp of water before answering.

"About what?"

Grissom put his fork down.

"About Travis and Charlie, the fact I have a life."

Sara followed Grissom's suit and put down her fork also, her hands on either side of her plate. She was struggling with what to say. She wanted to be honest with Grissom; she never liked to make a habit out of lying when it wasn't utterly required.

"I admit I was a little surprised. You never seem to leave work and when you did, most presumed that you would be reading and going over case files."

Grissom nodded, taking a sip of water.

"Do I really seem that sub human that people that I work with actually think that all I do is come home and work? What an impression that must leave."

Grissom stood, taking her plate and his own into the kitchen, scraping them loudly before for allowing them to clatter into the sink. Sara stayed where she was, not quite sure what she was meant to do. She had insulted the man who had opened his house to her and let her into a part of his life nobody ever sees. She had thrown it back in his face and she had no idea how to repair the damage. She pushed her chair back and slowly moved into the kitchen, pausing at the entryway. Watching his angry movements.

"Grissom, I'm sorry"

He didn't turn around, his shoulders still stiff as he continued to clean the kitchen.

"You were telling the truth. That is nothing to apologize for."

"Grissom, can you please turn around and talk to me?"

Grissom paused, his hands wet and dripping as he leaned against the sink. He took a deep breath and turned. Sara moved closer, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Grissom, I didn't mean for you to get hurt by my comment. You are really a sweetie, you just need to let more people to see it"

"I am a lot less then what you think I am"

Sara uncrossed her arms and placed a hand on his forearm.

"I saw you with Travis and with Charlie. Not everyone would go out of their way to help others and you have taken on two rather huge tasks. That proves what you don't see. Now, go and sit down, watch the news or whatever you watch at night and let me finish cleaning"

"Sara, you don't have to do that"

"But I want to. Go, sit down and get some of that animal therapy that everyone is talking about"

Grissom smiled at her and slipped out of the kitchen. Sara rolled up her sleeve and began to clean, wondering how such a normally tidy man could be such a messy cook. When she was finally finished, half and hour later, she went into the living room to see if Grissom wanted some coffee before she went to bed. She smiled at what she had found. Grissom was passed out on the sofa, Charlie snoring softly on top of him. They made a gorgeous pair, the blonde and the older man. Sara pulled the rug off the back of one of the chairs and placed it over them. Charlie opened one brown eye and began to wag her tail. Sara gave her head a quick rub before heading to bed.

* * *

She had been dreaming about driving in the country with Grissom. She had no idea where they were going, no idea where they were but for some reason it didn't seem to bother her. She was startled out of her dream when she sensed someone in her room. She didn't open her eyes, didn't move just waited to see what would happen. She knew it was Grissom who was in her room, she could hear Charlie panting near the end of the bed and she could smell Grissom, his scent sharp on her nose. He moved closer to her, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake.

"Sara, it's time to wake up."

She took her time opening her eyes, opening them to Grissom's face a mere inch or so away from hers. His face looked so different close up. His eyes were bluer, his beard more distinct, his lips fuller and his breath pleasant on her skin. She watched as his pupils dilated as the shock of how close he was to her registered. He moved away from her, his hands in his pockets.

"It's 9:30. Thought you might like a chance to get ready for work."

Sara said nothing just watched him leave, Charlie at his heels. She rolled over in the large bed, burying her face in one of the pillows. It was getting too much. She had been there less then forty-eight hours and she already felt like she had over stayed her welcome. and she was enjoying a little too much the fact that she was in such close proximity to Grissom. She needed to re-focus her attention. Elizabeth needed her and Grissom would have to come second. She got out of bed and pulled her green khakis out of her suitcase topping it with her white pheasant blouse and her boots. Within fifteen minutes she was ready to go. She settled for tidying the large mess that she had managed to create in the short time she had been there, allowing her mind to process what this shift would bring. They were going to go to the club where Elizabeth had been, armed with the pictures of the teens that had claimed to be with her. If the manager helped then great, if he didn't they could shut the whole business down for him selling alcohol to minors. Either way some good would come of it. She grabbed her jacket, cell phone and a change of clothing just in case it was going to be a double. Always better to be prepared. She took her stuff into the living room finding Grissom deep in thought, Charlie once again on his lap.

"Sara?"

Sara dropped the plastic bag with her clothing on the floor beside the door, turning back to the kitchen to grab a drink of water.

"Mmm?"

"Did you put a rug over me earlier?"

Sara took her time drinking from the bottle of water, once again battling with the truth. Why was it with Grissom she always felt the need to cover her actions? And why was it when it came to him her actions required covering? What was it about him that made her do and say foolish things?

"Yeah, I did. You two make a very good couple"

Grissom still was facing away from her but she could almost see him thinking.

"So Mr. Grissom, how long were you standing watching me sleep?"

She saw Grissom shift uncomfortably. It was odd that they could only have this bizarrely intimate conversation without facing each other. Another thing to add to her list of things done.

"Not long. Just so you know you talk in your sleep and do this weird little snuffling. Cute really. Sounds kind of like a puppy."

Sara threw the lid of the bottle of water at the back of Grissom's head, her aim perfect as it made a soft crack against his skull.

"Hey! That hurt."

Sara laughed and took another drink of water turning to put it on the bench, she felt the bottle lid landing softly on the centre of her back before it landed with a soft clunk on the floor around her feet. She picked it up and placed the cap back on the bottle, turning to Grissom. He had moved and was now standing near the door, his arms crossed over his chest, a small smile on his face.

"Now that we are even, we should get going to work."

Sara nodded and moved to the door, bending to scoop up her bag of clothing off of the floor, following Grissom to the truck.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N - I want to thank everyone who has been reviewing, putting me on their favs and alerts. I love just how fast they roll in. I went to bed last night and woke up to ten reveiws and I got another ten in the last three hours that I have been home! So as reward for all you wonderful people out there, I'm posting the third chapter for you. Keep all this up and I'll post chapter four tomorrow! Thanks guys! Oh and before I forget, I had a really bad day today and this helped me cheer up! You are all my prozac!_

Chapter Three – Placebo

No one commented when Sara and Grissom arrived at work together, they knew that joking and teasing was not what Sara needed. And Sara appreciated that. First thing she did was give Greg a quick kiss on the cheek. He stood there shocked before a large goofy grin spread over his face.

"You finally realised your true feelings for me huh? I knew you eventually would."

Sara gave him a friendly jab.

"You wish Greggo. That was a thank you for letting me raid your precious coffee supply earlier today. It was a great help."

Greg shrugged modestly.

"No problem. Anything for a friend."

Sara smiled at him again before settling herself in the break room, waiting for Grissom to give them all a low down of what was going to happen this shift. She knew that this case would involve a few of them but doubted that it would take the whole team. If it was a quite night then maybe but otherwise, he would split them.

"So people what do we know so far?"

Nick shrugged.

"No much, really only what people have told us. We didn't find Elizabeth's clothes at the scene, just the wallet that she was found with. We found some blood and some hair which we matched back to our victim. We found some handprints but they were so smudged that the database did not pick them up. We did however find what we hope is the murder weapon."

Catherine leaned forward, taking over from Nick.

"We found a rock a metre or so away from the scene, it had blood, hair, bone and grey matter. We took it into trace to examine this morning and it was a match for Elizabeth. There were no prints on that either unfortunately."

Grissom nodded, waited for a few more minutes before continuing.

"Ok, it's a quite night tonight, so we are all on the Jennings case until otherwise. Warrick I need you to interview so more of these kids that hung out with Elizabeth, try and track down the father of her baby. Also see if you can find out if anyone else had a motive for hurting Elizabeth."

Warrick nodded and took the list that Grissom handed him and was gone, leaving the others to wonder about their placing's.

"Catherine, Greg and Nick, I need you guys at this club where these kids hang out. If there is any trouble, threaten to shut them down for serving minors. Try and find out who was the last to see Elizabeth alive."

Sara sat in mute shock while she watched the trio file out. She was going to be on the club tonight, she was meant to be investigating that side of things.

"I know you wanted the club but the family has requested you for the room check. We have their permission to take anything that we deem relevant. I'll come with, try and keep the mother busy while you do your thing. Ok?"

Sara nodded, a weird feeling to awkwardness coming over her, as she followed Grissom to the truck. She was going to investigate a neighbour's bedroom, which was bad enough. The fact that she didn't know what she would find caused her stomach to twist into a painful knot.

"You think you can handle this?"

Grissom was easing his way into traffic, Sara's silence unnerving him a little. She nodded, and continued to stare out the window. They were back at her apartment in just a few minutes; the yellow crime scene tape still loped around the area where she had found Elizabeth's body. She took her case up the familiar flight of stairs, throwing a glance at her own door before moving past it to Elizabeth's apartment, letting Grissom take the lead. He knocked on the door lightly, passing a quick glance in Sara's direction before turning back to the door as it was swung open. Mary looked tired and she was still wearing her night gown, it hung loose around her like a curtain.

"Oh Sara. Where have you been? I was trying to call you but there was no answer and then I've been knocking on your door but nobody was there. Where have you been?"

The woman demanded, pushing past Grissom and dragging Sara into the apartment by her arm, pushing her into a chair.

"So what have you found out?"

Sara passed a desperate deer-caught-in-headlights look at Grissom, who took Mary by the arm, pulling her back into a standing position, allowing Sara a chance to slip down the hall into Elizabeth's room. It was a black and white striped room, and judging by the crude overlapping of colour in places, it was a DIY job. There was a dresser with a mirror attached on the far side of the room, just under the window which looked out over some rooftops. Not much of a view really. On the other side of the room, closer to the door was the bed pushed up against the wall, a black and white bedspread tangled at the bottom of the bed, bunched with the sheets, pillows strewn all over the bed, and in the middle of it all was a open wardrobe, clothes somewhat falling out of it. Sara put down her case near the door, and snapped on some gloves. She decided to look for a diary first, trying to get herself into the teenage frame of mind; she looked under the mattress before hitting the jackpot, the hard cover book hidden in one of the pillows. Sara settled herself in the centre of the room, crossing her legs and opening the book to the first page.

_January 23, 2002_

_Dear Diary,_

_Something amazing has happened today. Peter Williams spoke to me. The last time that happened was in primary school when he wanted to borrow my pencil. He has obviously gotten a lot taller since then, and I swear his eyes have gotten bluer. He makes my head spin, and no guy has ever done that. I think I am in love with Peter Williams. Unfortunately, so is his girlfriend, Janice Carmicheal. She's the kind of girl that everyone loves and she is everyone's friend until you cross her and then your name is dirt. Anyway what happened was that Janice was grilling me on talking to Peter and how she didn't want me anywhere near him, and I must have looked upset because Peter came and pulled her aside, told her she was being stupid and then smiled at me and said that we were friends, weren't we? How in the world can you be friends with someone when you speak twice in 10 years? I am not going to analyse, I am just going to enjoy._

_I talked to Mel about it and she shrugged it off, saying Peter is an arrogant bastard and he should die. I know that she's my best friend but is that really a way to talk about another human being? Or is it just me being my overly sensitive self? I know that everyone thinks that my brain's make me cold but I'm not overly interested in regular things. They tend to bore me, other then Peter of course. He seems to be the only thing that I cannot get enough of. Mum's calling for dinner. Later_

Sara paused from her reading, thinking that she heard footsteps up the hall. She strained her ears for a second, heard Grissom's quiet voice and feeling reassured, she turned to the last entry in the book, hoping that something might help.

_September 1__st__, 2004_

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm going out with the gang tonight, Bridget arranged for us to meet outside of Caramel again. It's cheap and they turn the other way if you look older then you actually are. I don't know what to wear but it would properly be the short jean skirt, white boob tube and a studded choker and my knee high boots, Peter said they looked good on me. _

_I feel guilty Diary, I haven't told anyone about the baby. Mum thinks that I have put on weight, and who was I to deny it? I want to tell Peter tonight, pull him into a quiet corner and tell him the truth. I know that we were never officially together, but maybe the baby could change that. Maybe he will love me as much as I love him._

_It's getting late and I have to get ready. Wish me luck._

Sara sighed and closed the book with a short snap and then placed it into an evidence bag from her case. The last entry was dated for the day she died, and there was a little evidence against Peter. Possible their first suspect. It's amazing what you could do when your entire future was in jeopardy. She pushed the bag aside, stood and again surveyed the room, setting to work on the dresser. It was a typical teenage girl dresser, make-up, hairbrushes, tampons, condoms and a poorly hidden pack of cigarettes. Sara continued to rifle through the clothing, pushing aside underwear, feeling certain that she was missing something. That's when she saw it, rolled up and hidden right in the back corner, a thick, tightly rolled tube of tin foil. Sara pulled it out carefully, and then over a piece of paper, started to unroll it. As she had suspected, it was filled with Marijuana, at least $100 dollars worth. This was getting more and more interesting as she went along. Putting the drugs into another evidence bag, she began searching the next draw and then the one after that. In the very last draw she hit the jackpot again, this time in what appeared to be stolen goods. There was a layer upon layer of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and make-up, all still with price tags. Sara left them where they were and moved into the wardrobe, and again found a pile of stolen goods, this time it was clothing, jeans, pants, tops and even a pair of shoes. Sara gave her head a shake, the memory sliding back, allowing her to think clearly again. Elizabeth was reminding Sara of herself more and more. The hidden cigarettes, the stolen clothes, jewellery and the drugs. Sara had felt the pressure to fit in, the same as every other teenager did; only she abandoned it before it made her sour. Sara looked at her watch; she had been there for almost two hours. She had better get moving, her heart going out to Grissom, Sara backed and marked all of the evidence and was just about to leave when something made her stop and turn to survey the room again. She didn't know why but she felt like she had missed something else important. Her eyes were drawn to a piece of paper tucked just under the bed leg, the very end only visible. She put her large pile down on the floor next to her case and pulled the paper gently out from under the bed post.

"Sara!! You about ready?"

Sara carefully put the paper in an evidence bag, labelled it and moved back down the hall, her arms fully loaded with what she had collected from Elizabeth's room.

"All done."

Grissom pulled her case from her hand, taking some of the bags of evidence with him, her arms feeling the relief instantly. Sara finally got a good look around her and realised that Grissom and herself were alone.

"Where's Mary?"

Grissom opened the front door for her, flicking the lock as he went.

"She went to do some shopping. I got the feeling that she didn't want to be here to see you leave with Elizabeth's things. Find anything interesting?"

Sara helped Grissom load the back of the truck, nodding.

"Yep, loads of stuff. And I am a little weirded out, to tell you the truth."

Grissom hopped into the truck, waiting until they were both belted in before continuing the conversation.

"Weirded out? That's a teenage term if I ever heard one."

Sara shook her head, and allowed him a small smile before looking out the window.

"Ok, I'll bite. Why are you so weirded out?"

Sara turned back to Grissom.

"It was her room. I could not believe how much she reminded me of me at that age. I was a rebel without a clue then as well."

Grissom made a noise in his throat, flashing her a look of doubt.

"You? We are talking about the same Sara Sidle right?"

Sara shrugged her shoulders.

"I went through my rebellious stage and because no one was there to curb it, I got a little out of control."

Grissom shook his head again, amazed.

"And the mystery that is Sara Sidle deepens."

Sara shook her head, pushing her forehead against the cool glass of her window.

"There is no mystery."

Grissom said nothing, the rest of the ride back to the office taken in silence. They unloaded the evidence and moved it into one of the spare rooms, spreading what Sara had collected on the large table. Greg chose that moment to walk into the room, his eyes lighting up at the pile of evidence.

"Oh this looks like fun."

Grissom flashed Greg a look, one that made the young man's smile fade.

"What did you find at the club?"

Greg, shrugged, his eyes still roaming the evidence, like a kid at Christmas.

"Nothing much. The last person seen with her was Peter Williams, which was confirmed by over four employees. He is getting interviewed now by Catherine and Nick, Warrick was having a break."

Warrick had come up behind Greg, coffee cup in hand.

"And now I'm back. Do you guy need some help processing?"

Grissom passed a glance over the pile.

"Warrick if you could help Sara, I'm going to see how these interviews going. Greg is going to show me the report for the club, aren't you Greg?"

Greg nodded and moved slowly from the room, his smile now gone completely as he followed Grissom down the hall. Sara shook her head and began unloading the bags closer to her as Warrick pulled on his latex gloves before reaching for the back next to his arm.

"Are you and Grissom ok?"

Sara shook out the diary and began lazily thumbing through it again.

"Why is it whenever someone asks me that question it always sounds as if we are a couple?"

Warrick shrugged, fingering some of the material on a scarf.

"This feels like silk to me. How does a sixteen year old afford silk?"

Sara reached over and showed him the still attached price tag.

"She doesn't. Five finger discount."

Warrick nodded and began writing down the items, prices and the origin.

"So did you ever do anything like this when you were sixteen?"

Sara nodded, putting post-its on the pages of the Diary that seemed relevant.

"Unfortunately yes. I wanted to fit in, so I did whatever the popular kids told me."

Warrick paused for a moment looking at Sara; she could feel his eyes at the top of her head.

"You are exactly like Grissom. He was shocked that I did anything like that. Why is that so surprising?"

Sara pushed the diary aside, deciding that there was nothing else to be gained from it, glancing at Warrick as she waited for an answer.

"You are someone who I know doesn't tend to take crap lying down, you speak your mind regardless of what others may think. I guess it's surprising for someone so strong to be so weak."

Sara shrugged, pulling the roll of marijuana her way.

"It was high school; all the rules are different there."

Warrick was looking at the folded piece of paper that Sara had found under the bed.

"What's this?"

Sara looked up again.

"I don't know. I grabbed it on my way out."

Warrick took it out of the bag, Sara moving to his side to get a closer look as Warrick carefully unfolded it. It was a note written obviously by a typewriter, the letters bold and solid.

_Dear Elizabeth,_

_I have been watching you for a number of months now and I am still breathless from your beauty. I know that you see me everyday, but you don't really see me do you? Do you know how I pine for your touch? Your smell? Your voice? One day the rest of the world will be silenced as we come together, all the beauty in the world dull compared to our love. I know that one day we will be together, one day we will be able to be as we please. One day I will show you how much you mean to me. Until then my beautiful flower, rest within the arms of the sun knowing that I will be near._

Sara felt the excitement leave her body at the lack of signature. This meant more hours of trying to track down who wrote the letter, along with finding the baby's father, as well as Elizabeth's killer. Warrick flattened the paper out carefully.

"I don't know what Elizabeth thought of this, but it would creep me out, knowing that someone was watching me like that."

"It would creep anyone out. I'll take a photo then take it done to trace. Maybe there are prints or something."

Warrick stood back and let her take the pictures before returning the letter back to the bag and handing it over to Sara.

"Hopefully something will come back."

Sara gave him a small smile before heading down the hall towards Trace. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Sara was tired. Overtired to be more precise. The coffee that she held in her hand was doing nothing to keep her awake, and every once and a while her eyes drifted closed and she had a hard time opening them again. Months at work with no days off had left her needing a weekend of sleep and relaxation but now she was working those days, the lack of sleep was starting to hit. The quiet hum of the people around her had heightened to a roar, as it always did when she was tired. Normally quite sounds became almost too loud to bear.

"Sara?"

Grissom's voice drifted over her, and she managed to open her eyes enough to see the faded slurry frame of his body, almost like she was drunk.

"Hmm?"

She felt more then saw Grissom move closer to her, felt him pull her up out of the chair that she had been sitting in. Her legs thankfully supported her to an extent, but her head felt too heavy to hold up so she leaned it on Grissom's shoulder as he helped her move down the hall. She didn't know where he was taking her, didn't really care. Despite the movement, she was almost asleep on Grissom's shoulder when she felt herself being pushed down onto a sofa, too tired to question him, she pulled the blanket he had placed on her around her shoulders and sank gratefully into the sofa, felt his gentle touch as he took off her boots, tucking her feet carefully back under the blanket. She felt his hand rest lightly on the side of her face before sleep took over. There would be time to over analyse later.

Grissom taped the sign that he had just made on the front of his office door, hoping for the sake of Sara that they would heed the 'Do Not Disturb' suggestion. He knew that she would be mad about him letting her sleep, but she was in no state to continue. A month without rest can have a weird effect on the body. He made sure the door was shut properly before continuing down the hall, running into Catherine along the way.

"Where's Sara?"

Grissom keep walking, Catherine breaking into stride beside him.

"Getting some much needed rest in my office. Can I help?"

Catherine handed him a piece of paper.

"The guy that Elizabeth was last seen with? He's the baby's dad. We have him still in the interview room. Also Warrick wanted you to see this note that Sara found in Elizabeth's room. The found two sets of prints, one from Elizabeth and one from Peter Williams. Thought you might want to talk to him."

Grissom gave a short nod making his way directly to the interview room, Catherine following closely. Grissom paused for a moment outside of the special glass, getting a good look at their first and only real suspect. Peter sat straight in the hard plastic chair, his clothes neat and straight, and his blonde hair short and combed neatly.

"Heard of his parents Vivica and Locklin Williams?"

Grissom shook his head; he never paid much attention to that kind of stuff.

"His parent's are the second richest family in Las Vegas. They got all their money from their parents, who got their money from their parents and so on and so forth. I don't ever remember what they got the money for it goes that far back. That sixteen year old in there is set to inherit over $80 billion dollars on his parent's demise. That is a heavy load for a kid to bear."

Grissom said nothing but continued to watch the interaction between the young man and his parent's, who were sitting either side of him. Vivica William's was, for all intents and purposes, a pretty woman, but her visibly hard exterior made her face look thin and worn, the forehead so smooth that Grissom guessed that Botox had a hand in the lack of wrinkles. Her hair sat in a smooth brown curtain down to her shoulders, some of the side strands pulled into a clip at the back of her head. Her clothes were that of a rich person, the royal blue two piece skirt suit topped off with heels and a single sting of pearls, making her look refined and elegant. Her husband wore a smart grey suit, as if trying to look the part of a concerned busy father but failing at the attempt. His hair was the same colour as his son's, also combed back neatly. Neither of them was talking to their son, or each other. They were all staring straight ahead. Grissom moved into the room at that point, leaving Catherine to watch through the glass. Grissom sat down across from them not offering his hand, just a slight nod and his name. Nothing else was needed.

"Peter, I need you to tell me, in your own words, what happened last night."

Peter rolled his eyes at Grissom before letting out a sigh. Vivica Williams looked at Grissom coldly, her husband imitating the look.

"Peter has answered that question over and over. Do we really need to go over this again?"

Grissom matched Vivica's cold look with his own, pouring all the contempt he had for the woman into his eyes.

"Yes we do. So Peter if you will, enlighten me of the events."

Peter looked at Grissom, his blue eyes cold and uncaring. Bored even.

"I went to the club with the normal group of people. I meet up with Elizabeth, who told me she was pregnant and that it was my baby. After telling her that she was being stupid and that it was not my baby, I escorted her outside, called a taxi and then went back in. The end."

Peter's voice was sarcastic and cold, bored and even. There was not even a hint of sadness or remorse over Elizabeth's death. The idea that he may have written the letter that he held in his hand was almost ridiculous, but his prints were all over it, which meant at the very least he had read it.

"Have you ever seen this before?"

Grissom pushed the paper over the table, making sure the writing was facing the trio. He allowed them ample time to read the note before asking again.

"Have you seen it before?"

Peter shook his head, barely giving the paper a second's glance.

"Are you sure? Because we found your fingerprints all over it."

Peter's forehead crinkled as a frown took over his face.

"I never saw this not before in my life."

Grissom sat back in his seat and crossed his arms.

"So why then are your prints on the paper?"

Peter shrugged. Grissom decided for the shock treatment.

"Do you remember getting a swab taken when you first came in?"

Peter nodded lazily, his hair staying in the exact position it was at to begin with.

"Elizabeth was right. You were the baby's father. We matched the DNA."

Peter said nothing, his eyes widened, his mouth hung open in shock. His parents were silent as well, their faces mirroring their son's.

"Fortunately for you, you were at the club at the time of the murder, so you are not a suspect. But this does not mean you are off the hook. We will be checking you out Peter. Oh and by the way you were going to have a daughter."

Without another word, Grissom stood and left the room, closing the door behind him. He met Catherine at the glass and pressed a button below it, allowing them to hear what was going on in the room. Vivica moved first, her rigid stance now moving into an angrier mode.

"You stupid boy, why would you sleep with that kind of trash?"

Grissom felt Catherine wince beside him and he was glad that Sara was sleeping. Speaking disrespectfully about the dead was one thing, but having it happen to someone you knew was another entirely.

Peter was pacing the room slightly, his hands running through his hair.

"I only slept with her a couple of times Mother, and we used protection."

Vivica grabbed her son's shoulders.

"It doesn't always work now does it? That is how we got you!"

Peter stood shocked looking at his mother, exchanged a sad glance with his father who said nothing, before he pulled away and walked out the door, rushing past Catherine and Grissom before turning a corner and disappearing from their eye sight.

"He's just a child Vivica, you can't expect him to be perfect all the time."

Locklin Williams voice sounded tired and strained, as if he had had this conversation a few too many times with his wife. His wife turned to him, her voice cold and riddled with contempt.

"He is our son, a Williams, and unlike you, he needs to be perfect. He needs to be everything you're not."

Lachlan opened his mouth but closed it just as quickly. Grissom saw the look of defeat on the man's face and knew one thing for certain. Vivica Williams was the driving force of this family and was not someone to be messed with. Now Grissom wanted to know if she could kill someone for her son and for the sake of their family.

Sara drifted into consciousness gradually. She kept her eyes closed as she wriggled her toes and moved her hands. After she was fully awake, she was aware of a scratching noise near the other side of the room, and realising that it was pencil on paper, she gathered that Grissom was back at his desk working.

"How long have you been in here?"

She heard Grissom put down his pencil, shuffle some papers and sit back further in his seat; it had a weird way of creaking when he did that.

"Long enough to know that you sing in your sleep."

Sara pulled the blanket over her head, groaning slightly. She had discovered this new habit of hers when she had taped something on her CD player several weeks ago. She could be heard singing in the back round to the song that she had heard last. And she had been doing it ever since.

"You are fortunate enough to be blessed with a good voice, so don't be too embarrassed I enjoyed the free concert."

Sara sat up and took a proper look around her, her eyes widening when she saw the clock.

"You let me sleep for four hours?! Grissom why did you let me sleep? I wanted to talk to some of those kids."

Grissom shook his head, watching as Sara pulled her boots back on, the last clouds of sleep now gone from her brain. She had been sleeping while Elizabeth's killer was still roaming free, talk about guilt trip. Sara pulled her hair back in a ponytail, deciding to leave the sleep induced tangles for later, straightened her clothes and approached Grissom's desk, sitting across from him.

"So what did you get from the kids anyway?"

Grissom pushed the file toward Sara.

"Nothing much, just the same stuff about how they all saw Elizabeth leave with Peter. I showed Peter the letter."

Sara's head popped up.

"And?"

"Said he never saw the letter in his life."

Sara shook her head, doubt and suspicion flashing over her pretty face.

"Yeah right. How many times are criminals going to feed us that line?"

Grissom shrugged.

"I guess until it works. He denied being the father too but when presented with the DNA evidence he caved. He had slept with Elizabeth a few times but that was it. Apparently there was no proper relationship there. Just sex."

Sara shook her head a look of sadness coming into her eyes.

"Why did she waste her life with that kind of guy? And again I feel crept out. That's what I did as well. Wasted my time with some low life who would never give me the time of day outside of the bedroom."

Sara felt immense sadness for Elizabeth and her situation. Sara felt even more sadness when she realised that that could have just as easily been her. She heard Grissom shift in his chair and felt his hand clasp hers as he knelt beside her chair.

"You can't regret another person's decision. She made her mistakes"

Sara sighed slightly before pining Grissom in her gaze.

"Do you regret your first time?"

Grissom shook his head before removing his hand and moving back to his seat, needing the room to breathe. Being that close to Sara always seemed to suck the air right out of him.

"I lost it too my high school girlfriend. We were together for two years before she moved overseas. I was lucky I lost it to someone I loved."

Sara readjusted herself on her seat; fascinated by the information that Grissom was giving so willingly.

"So have you ever done anything illegal?"

Grissom offered her a small smile before nodding.

"Yeah afraid so. I was caught drinking with some friends in the local park. I was fourteen and I thought my mother would kill me. She ignored me for days after that. Pretty easy to do when you're deaf. Switch off I mean"

Sara gave him a small smile, watching as his long tapered fingers fiddled with the pencil that he had been writing with earlier.

"I never got done for illegal drinking. Mind you I never got caught. I was more wagging school, smoking and drugs."

Grissom leaned forward slightly, his interest plain on his face.

"So what made you turn the corner?"

"Saw to many kids like me get pregnant and ruin their lives. I knew I didn't want to be like that. I wanted to live to my potential, be a good example despite where I come from."

Grissom gave Sara a broad grin.

"I have to admire that."

Sara gave one back and silence lapsed again as they waited for the others to get back from the club.

* * *

When Catherine, Warrick and Nick walked into the room, they found Sara and Grissom pouring over notes together, both so deep in thought that it took Warrick clearing his throat before either looked up.

"Ah so they have returned. What did you find out?"

Warrick waved the brown evidence bag he had in his hand within their eyesight.

"We managed to get some surveillance tapes but not much else. The Manager was very helpful once we threatened to close him down. He does remember Elizabeth coming in that night along with many others. He said he saw her leave with another regular, Peter Williams as he said. However, the manager talked to the bouncer, and Peter never called Elizabeth a cab. They went just around the corner to the dark ally along the side of the club and she was never seen again, until Sara found her anyway."

Sara glanced at Grissom, wanting an explanation. Grissom filled her in quietly till she was up to play with the Williams interview. Grissom watched Sara's pretty eyes narrow as the words sunk in.

"Do you think the mother had anything to do with this? Sound's like she disapproved of Elizabeth."

Grissom shrugged.

"I don't like her but the passion which she feels for her son could mean anything. She might be willing to kill but to be honest I could never picture a woman like that doing it alone. I think she would be too afraid of breaking a nail."

Catherine smiled slightly before turning her eyes to Sara.

"How are you holding up?"

Sara shrugged, her shoulders heavy.

"Yeah I'm ok. It's just hard to know that she's gone. Harder still that her mother is trying to hunt me down."

Catherine didn't look surprised.

"Yeah I can't say that I'm surprised. You are the only connection she has to this case. So are you still at home?"

Sara glanced quickly at Grissom, and before she could stop herself, a lie slipped all too easily off of her tongue.

"Nah just staying with a good friend I recently reconnected with. It's nice and quite."

Catherine pointed a glance Grissom's way, obviously trying to gage his reaction to a mention of an old friend. Seeing nothing she turned back to the case at hand.

"So I'm going to guess that we need to press hard on the William's family then since they are our only lead then."

Grissom thought for a second before putting his plan into action.

"I want to talk to the father alone. If any of them will crack, it will be him first. Catherine if you want to take the mother, and Nick and Warrick can take Peter."

Sara waited for the other's to leave before turning her eyes on Grissom.

"What about me? Don't cut me out completely please."

Grissom handed her Elizabeth's diary then a pad and a pen.

"I want you to read through Elizabeth's diary, take notes on anything that might be important. Start from the first entry right to the last."

Sara gave a sigh and sat heavily back into her seat. Grissom gathered his coat and cell phone before turning to her again.

"I'm letting you read it out of respect. I know what she meant to you and it didn't feel right to let anyone else do it. This is just as important as interviewing any of the family. I need you to tell me what was going on in this girl's head."

Sara stood to move out of his office but Grissom's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Stay in here. It's a lot more quite then anywhere else. You won't be disturbed."

Sara nodded and moved so that she was now sitting behind the desk in Grissom's chair, swinging herself lazily, giving Grissom a small smile. She watched him leave before she opened the diary again. She wanted to be completely alone before she delved into the teenage mind. She really didn't want him to see her breakdown again. It was an unsettling reoccurrence. She opened the diary closer to the end of Elizabeth's life.

_July 12__th__, 2005_

_I'm late for my period. I am freaking out so much right now. I wanted to do so well in school and make mom and dad proud of me and now I might shatter that dream. If I am pregnant, what will I do? Keep it, adopt it out or have an abortion? There are so many families out there that would give the baby a great home. I should stop thinking like this. I'm not pregnant. It's not possible._

Sara made a quick note of the date and then moved even further back in the diary. She wanted to know what had happened with Peter William's.

_June 15__th__, 2005_

_Dear Diary,_

_I am no longer a virgin!!!! AHHH! I want to tell everyone so that they all don't think of me as such a prude. I never ever thought that I would end up losing it to Peter though. I mean he's Peter. My ultimate everything. Ok I'm rushing ahead of myself; I'll start from the beginning._

_I went to Peter's tonight with Janice and Brooke and we made a slight detour and picked up Frank and Oscar, two of Peter's jock friends. We were there for a gathering. Not a party but a gathering. My parent's brought that a lot better then they would a party. There were more people there then I expected but that's ok, I don't mind crowds. I had some shots with Brooke before she hooked up with Oscar and moved into one of the spare rooms. I ended up sitting in the corner by myself watching Peter. He was having a fit with Janice, who kept pointing at me. I have no idea why but she did. Janice left soon after and Peter came to sit next to me. I am always going to remember how he smelt and what he was wearing tonight. It is burnt onto my soul, I swear. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans that showed off his butt and clung to his thighs, the AC/DC t-shirt giving him a rebel air. I love it when he looks like a rebel. He smelt of sunshine. I know that sounds ridiculous but I am so certain that that is what it smells like. Before Kitty died, when she was laying out on the balcony in the sun you could press your nose to her belly and smell the sun. That's what Peter smelt like only mixed with beer. He didn't say anything just started to kiss me. It was amazing Diary, I swear I was flying! His lips were so soft and gentle. The next thing I knew we were in on of the spare rooms and I'm taking his top off. It was over before it really began. He rolled off me and left the room all the while tugging his shirt on. Brooke said that the first time would hurt but I didn't feel anything. I HAD SEX WITH PETER WILLIAM"S!!!!!!!! I wonder if this means we're together now? I mean surely this night that we just had together means something to him right? Why would he do it otherwise?_

Sara gave a little sigh and shook her head, her heart going out again to the girl. Sara knew the confusion that she was going through over Peter, she herself had been there and done it all too many times for her own comfort. Sara knew how hard it would have been for the girl to fit in with any crowd, let alone the popular one even with her smarts. Sara thought it over for a few seconds before picking up her phone and dialling. There was someone she needed to see.

* * *

Sara arrived at Melissa's house a little after nine, and was welcomed into the same dishevelled house that they had seen when they had first tracked her down.

"So where's your Mom?"

Melissa put her slim hands into a pair of black jeans that were far too big for her, the waist band slipping down every time she moved her slim frame.

"Working her last job for the night at the local Here and There Café. She won't be home until after eleven. Why is it you wanted to talk to me?"

Sara made herself comfortable on the cleanest looking sofa, one side which was piled with washing.

"I just wanted to know a little more about Elizabeth. You are her best friend so I thought that you would be a good place to start."

Melissa shrugged sitting next to Sara.

"What do you want to know?"

Sara pulled out her notebook and her pen.

"What about who she hung out with at school?"

Melissa laughed bitterly.

"You mean before or after the popular crowd paid a little attention?"

Sara offered a sympathetic smile.

"How about before. What was a typical day like for her?"

Melissa shrugged as she pushed her hair behind her ears.

"Nothing great or exciting really. Went to school, we studied together every afternoon and then she would go home. She was surprisingly boring."

Sara studied the girl.

"Did she get hassled about it, being boring I mean?"

Melissa gave Sara a doubtful look. Honestly Miss Sidle there is nothing much to tell you. I don't know the Elizabeth that died; she had become somebody else long before she was murdered."

Sara nodded, trying to understand what Melissa was saying. This trip had been somewhat of a waste. She needed to talk to one of those kids she had hung out with just before she died. They were the key.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four – Eight Easy Steps

Grissom and Sara had driven home in relative silence at the end of the shift, both lost in their own thoughts of the case. Grissom felt the frustration over the lack of movement in the case stem off Sara in almost physical waves. Her drive to solve this case was admirable but it was also dangerous. It could and would consume her. He had seen it happen more then once in the past. He knew what she needed. A distraction. A big one. He waited until they had gotten in the door, and on his way to his room he dropped the bomb shell.

"Get changed Sidle. We're going out. Oh and get your dirty laundry together."

He closed his bedroom door and hoped that by the time he had gotten changed that Sara had listened to him. He heard Charlie padding around in the kitchen and after a second of thought decided that she could come with them. She was due for a walk. When he finally exited his room, now dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt, a bag of dirty slung over his shoulder, he found Sara standing near the doorway dressed in a flowing black skirt that fell to just above her knees and a red t-shirt. She looked beautiful. Tired but beautiful nonetheless.

"And I'm going to guess that laundry is on the list of things to do, which I know is dead exciting but all I really want to do is sleep."

Sara tried her best to make Grissom change his mind about going out, but knew she had failed when he started hooking Charlie up to her lead, all ready for a walk. She put her bag of clothing into the back seat and then waited as Grissom loaded Charlie. They drove silently into town and it wasn't until the car was parked that Grissom spoke.

"No talking about work from here on in. These are the few hours we have to be somewhat normal. Ok?"

Sara nodded and hoped out of the car, a little startled by this livelier Grissom. She had never met him before. This should be interesting. Sara followed Grissom and Charlie in to a brightly coloured laundromat called Pennies. Grissom gave the man behind the counter a quick smile before moving with purpose to a machine near the back of the building, Charlie's nails making a steady clicking as she followed Grissom obediently. Grissom placed both bags down in front of the two machines and then turned to change some dollar bills before coming to stand in front of Sara.

"Hold out your hand."

Sara did as she was told and Grissom dropped several pennies in her hand before beginning to load his chosen machine. It wasn't like Sara had never done laundry before. It was part of her life as much as it was in the next person's. But the idea of sorting out her colours and her delicates in front of Grissom was unnerving. Forbidden and somewhat sexy sure, but not the most comfortable situation.

"Sara stop thinking and start doing your laundry. We have a lot of things to get done today."

Sara shrugged and started loading the washer with her t-shirts, pants and a couple of skirts.

"Hey Sara, what do ya think? Lavender or original?"

Grissom was beside her again holding out two samples of laundry powder. One was in a horribly purple box the other was in a white. Sara leaned forward and sniffed the lavender lightly, her nose curling at the intense smell. Too over powering. The white box however was what Sara recognised as the one Grissom currently used. It was mild and light with just enough smell to make it clean.

"The white box. You'll smell like a girl if you use Lavender."

Sara watched as Grissom nodded and poured a measured amount into the machine before handing it too Sara.

"You're not the lavender type either."

He turned back to his machine, turned it on and then proceeded to load another machine with the last of the washing. Sara followed suit, quickly pushing her panties, bras, her silk pyjamas and socks into another load before sitting in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Charlie had gotten bored and was now laying slumped out on the floor watching the people go past the large window at the front of the store. Before long Grissom had sat beside Sara on a chair and let out a sigh.

"While we're waiting for the machines do you want to know what happened in the interview with the father?"

Sara offered Grissom a small smile.

"I thought we were not allowed to talk about work."

Grissom shrugged.

"The great thing about being boss is that I can change the rules. That and I knew that you would be dying to know"

Sara smiled.

"Yeah ok you got me. So spill. How did it go?"

Grissom stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Peter's father thinks that his wife is having an affair. I don't find that in the least bit surprising really. He also thinks that his wife is somehow involved in Elizabeth's death. I don't know how he came to that conclusion but that's what he thinks. He claims that Peter is innocent and that he is just a confused kid who has been pressured by his mother to think things and make snap judgements. That I believe. All in all it was a bit of a waste of time. Nothing came of it. What about Elizabeth's diary? Anything come of that?"

Sara shrugged, playing with the frilled hem of her skirt.

"Not a lot. I went to see Melissa again and that brought about a big fat nothing. The diary told me when she had had sex with Peter and even the date that she found out she was pregnant. Do you know what happened with the interviews that other guys did?"

"I read a little of the report's they gave back but thus far we have nothing."

Sara gave a little sigh and watched the people walking past the large window of the laundry matt. She felt so weighed down by this case. And so obligated to solve it. Grissom's soft voice broke into her thoughts.

"You don't need to feel obligated you know."

Sara shook her head, her eyes still focused on the people passing by.

"It's our job to feel obligated Grissom. It's just that this case makes it more real."

Sara felt Grissom's hand on her elbow, the skin to skin contact a silent demand for attention. Sara turned head slowly to meet Grissom's soft blue gaze.

"I know how I felt with the Debbie Marlon case. Do you remember that one?"

Sara nodded. It had been pretty hard to shake that image of Debbie Marlon on the slab when she looked so much like Sara herself. Grissom continued to speak, his hand still lightly resting on her elbow.

"I could not believe it when I saw her laying there. It was you. Did Catherine tell you how possessed I became about that case?"

Sara shook her head. Catherine had said nothing to them about Grissom not being at the office.

"I stayed at that house for three days. I didn't sleep and I only ate what Catherine found in the fridge. I was running purely on the fact that she looked like you. It did me no good what so ever. I had nightmares for weeks after that and I had to keep looking at you to remind myself that you were still there."

Sara shifted slightly so that she was facing Grissom more, his hand slipping down to her wrist in the movement. Sara waited a beat before taking his hand in hers. His hand was softer then she had expected it to be after years in the field, his fingers round and strong. She kept her grip loose, allowing him the chance to slip away if he wanted. Grissom said nothing, just glanced at their joint hands quickly before turning his eyes back to Sara.

"I've done some things in the past that I am not very proud of. We all have. You just need to stay focused ok and don't let this case get the better of you. I don't want to see you destroy yourself"

Sara tightened her grip on his hand, before running the free hand over his cheek lightly.

"I'll be careful. I have you to make sure I don't slip too far."

Grissom nodded, his own hand squeezing Sara's. The sharp beeping of the washing machines drew the pair's attention and Sara gave a soft smile.

"We had better sort out the machines. We have a lot to do today."

Grissom pulled her gently out of her seat and went to his washing machine where in silence they proceeded to unload the clothing. In twenty minutes the washing was done and loaded in the back of the car. In absolute silence he led her across the road towards a bookstore called Spinal Tap, Charlie still close on their heels. Sara had always liked books. Loved the way they smelled and how you could go on a trip without ever leaving the house. Spinal Tap was a booklovers paradise. It was dim enough to give it a nice peaceful feel but bright enough to sit and read in on of the over stuffed chairs and beanbags that Sara could spot from the main entry way. Grissom moved past Sara to start rifling excitedly through a box of books laying on the counter, extracting each book carefully, running a finger down the spine before placing it gently on the counters glass surface.

"Oh Gil, I see you've found the new shipment."

A round elderly man appeared from around a corner of book shelves leaning heavily on an intricately designed cane. Sara could see the twisted wood and delicate art work that peppered the length of wood.

"I see you've brought a friend. I'm William by the way."

Sara shook the hand that the elderly man offered, a small smile playing on her lips. He looked a lot like Gandolf off the Lord of The Rings. His hair and his beard were long and white as were the clothes he was wearing.

"I'm Sara. Has anyone told you that you look like Gandolf off The Lord of The Rings?"

William nodded a deep chuckle emanating somewhere in his stomach before reaching Sara's ears.

"All the time young lady, all the time. So Gil, find anything interesting?"

Grissom held up a thick volume that he held in his right hand, a large smile on his face.

"As always William, you have just what I was looking for. Do you mind if we have a wonder round?"

William held up his hands, making a grand sweep of his surroundings.

"My home is your home. Come on Charlie, I have some of those treats you like in the back."

Charlie was off following William, the promise of treats making her tail swing. Grissom led Sara into the Entomology section, stopping at books for beginners. He handed Sara the book he had taken from the box earlier, searching the ones on the shelves as he explained.

"It's Travis's birthday next week and because he keeps borrowing my books, I figured I would start him on his own collection. The book you have in your hot little hand is the one that he's borrowed over a dozen times and now I want some that can give him more information on his bug of choice, butterflies."

Sara smiled as she fingered some of the volumes she had spotted at Grissom's house.

"Oh he loves butterflies too. It was sweet of him to give you that Monarch that he found."

Grissom nodded as he added to the small pile now in Sara's arms.

"Yeah it was. I feel bad taking it though. Maybe I should get it cased then give it back to him as a gift."

Sara shook her head, which she realised was a waste. Grissom had his face turned to more books.

"Don't do that. It was properly hard enough for him to give it to you. Just accept it as a gift from one scientist to another."

She saw Grissom nod slightly, and she realised just how many books he had piled on her when her arms began to ache. Just when she thought she could take no more, Grissom led her back to the front of the shop and helped unload the books onto the counter, where William was waiting, a wide smile on his face.

"And once again Grissom, you have become my biggest buyer this week. Another chunk out of my bug book selection I see."

Grissom gave a small shrug as he pulled out his credit card. He passed a quick look over Sara before he gave a little frown.

"Didn't you find anything you wanted?"

Sara shook her head.

"I have more then enough books at home. You can take me to the CD store though. I need to bulk up my CD selection."

Grissom gave her a small smile before turning back to William who was busy putting all the books into a small box, stacking them carefully before taking the credit card off Grissom.

"Will you be back again next week for the new shipment?"

Grissom nodded, smiling widely.

"Of course. Come on Charlie we have a music store to hit. Seeya William, give me a call if the shipment comes early. Bye."

Sara gave William a quick wave and followed Grissom to the truck to unload his haul of goodies before he turned back to Sara.

"So the CD store is it? Right this way Miss Sidle."

Grissom offered her his arm and she linked her arm through. It was comfortable and intimate gesture.

"Will this store do? It's not very big but they have some good stuff."

Sara ran a quick eye over the store, taking in the walls covered in the latest hits, the middle of the store taken up by the older music.

"Perfect. I'm going to find my CD, you can cruise."

Sara moved to the latest singles rack and smiled when she found the new Nickleback CD she wanted, before spotting a few more that were on her list. She watched as Grissom cruised the CDs carefully, flipping through them with studious ease, pausing every once and awhile taking one in his hands and looking at the back before either adding it too his small pile or putting it back in the rack. Sara found herself wondering what kind of music he listened to. She knew that he had a taste for classical but he wasn't in the classical selection, he was in the old rock area, the likes of BeeGee's and the Beetles. Sara wondered over to his side.

"Find anything that struck your fancy?"

Grissom raised his hand that held three CD's slightly as he continued his search.

"A few. Did you get what you wanted?"

Sara lifted her hand, glancing at the six CD's.

"Yeah. What did you get?"

Sara took the pile of CD's from his hand before he could protest. Beach Boys, Elvis Presley and Dr. Hook.

"I would never have pinned you as a Dr. Hook fan. You know, you're beginning to surprise me. First Charlie, then Travis and now this. Next thing you'll be telling me you have a tattoo."

Grissom was smiling again, his fingers laying over hers as he claimed back his CD's.

"Rest assured, I don't have a tattoo. We do have to pay for these CD's though so that we can go and do some shopping before we can get some sleep before tonight's shift."

Sara gave Grissom a small smile and followed him to the cash register, for once loving the idea of doing her grocery shopping.

* * *

Sara never would have thought that the biggest argument that she would have with Grissom would involve buying food but here it was. They had playfully bantered through the entire store, pretending to argue over everything. Then they had gotten to the check out and it all turned to custard. Grissom had wanted to pay for the entire shop, stating that even if she left he would still eat it all. Sara wanted to pay for at least half of it; it was a large shop after all. They stayed there for a good fifteen minutes locking horns until Grissom finally caved, agreeing to go halves on the food. Sara felt a glow of satisfaction as she handed over the cash, happy to have one a small battle at least. Then she saw the look on Grissom's face and realized that she had over stepped the mark again. Only this time she had no idea why. She waited until they were out of the store before speaking.

"What did I do?"

Grissom paused mid-stride and looked at her.

"You are my guest. I do not mind paying for food that we are both going to eat"

"If we are both going to eat it then what is the big deal if I want to pay half?"

"You are my guest Sara."

"And it would make me feel much more comfortable if you would let me do something for you. I don't expect you to look after me all the time"

"I know you don't but I just don't you to feel as if I expect you to do something because I don't. You have enough on your plate without worrying about every silly little thing."

"Food is not silly Grissom, a person has to eat."

"Let's drop it ok? All I want to do is get home and have some lunch"

Sara followed him to the truck with their trolley and waited for him to pull open the boot before being to load in the bags. The ride home was silent, the happiness of the day going just as quickly as it had come. The mood only began to lift again as they drove up Grissom's long driveway. They unloaded the bags and took them inside. It took ten minutes to put the food away and when that was done, Sara set about making some sandwiches for lunch. It was creepy to her just how quickly she had settled in. It didn't take much for her to feel at home, she just needed a friendly face and a comfortable and she was pretty much set. This was an entirely different situation. She was living with Grissom. It wasn't like it was with Nick, Greg and Warrick. She could joke around those guys, relax and didn't need to impress them. Grissom was a different story. She wanted to impress him, even though after years of knowing him it was a little pointless. If he wasn't impressed now he never will be. She felt like a girl with a high school crush around him and she found it extremely irritating.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N - This next chapter finds itself getting posted the moment our new flatmate moves in. Lulu (or Laura if you wanna be picky) is a fantastic person and I love her to bits. So this chapter is dedicted to Lulu and all the good times I know that wwe are going to have!_

Chapter Five – Bedroom Dancing

"Ecklie's taking you off the case"

Sara felt her anger explode from her chest and bounce around the walls of Grissom's office.

"What! Why?"

Grissom remained calm in the face of Sara's anger, allowing her to vent.

"You know why. You are too close to this Sara. Far too close for it to be safe"

"I can handle this, you know I can. I can work it hands off."

"Sara, we both know you can't do that."

"Yes I can. Tell Ecklie that I want to stay on this case and I will remain hands off until it is solved. I will work by your side, hands in pockets, mouth shut. I need to be on this one Grissom. Please"

The last word was a plea and it was one he could not ignore. He had made exceptions to the rules before for Catherine and the others, so why should Sara be any different? If he said no, she would bring up his tendency to allow Catherine on cases that she should really not be on. If he said yes, he would defy the very orders that Ecklie had given him. Rock-Grissom-hard place. There was nothing he could do.

"Fine. I'll tell Ecklie but I mean it when I say hands off ok?"

"Ok. I can do that."

Sara sat back down in her seat, her arms crossed over her chest, her pride hurt. How could Ecklie want her off the case? She was good at her job and there was no way in hell that she didn't want a part in this case. She wanted to see justice for Elizabeth more then anyone else. How can her being off the case help in anyway, shape or form? She watched as Grissom picked up the phone and dialed Ecklie's number and for a split second she felt a little sorry for him. This was not the first time he had laid it on the line to allow her to have her own way. Sara felt herself justifying the situation by how nothing bad had happened in any of those situations so how could this time be any different? She could hear Ecklie's yells down the phone and she could see Grissom was stressed by the entire situation. His voice was calm and even as he tried to reason with Ecklie but he was failing. Eventually he hung up the phone in the middle of Ecklie's tirade and gave Sara a small, sad smile.

"He agrees with me."

"Liar. The lab techs could have heard all that yelling"

"Yeah well Conrad knows nothing about what is good for the case and what is not. Let me decide what happens with my team."

Sara gave Grissom a short nod before leaving his office. She didn't need this distraction; she needed to work the case.

* * *

The call came in an hour later, while Grissom was trying to sort through the paperwork that had become piled on his desk. A murder in Melissa Guthrie's apartment. Grissom was torn between telling Sara and not telling her. Dealing with a pissed Sara was far more preferably then dealing with a pissed off boss. Going against his better judgment, he paged Sara and told her what was going on. When they arrived at the crime scene, Catherine was already there, making her way slowly around the small, dirty apartment. He gave Grissom a hard glare as he and Sara walked past and it didn't take a genius to know why. Ecklie had obviously informed the others as to what the situation was and Catherine had expected him to do as the boss wanted him too. He just gave Catherine a slight nod and continued into the room, Sara following him. He slipped on his gloves and examined the scene before him. A woman in her mid-thirties lay on the floor her throat slit from ear to ear, the blood polling beneath her. 

"Melissa's mom"

Grissom looked at Sara who was pointing to a picture that was stuck to the fridge. Grissom moved over to her and looked it over. They did look alike and they could past for mother and daughter.

"We need her wallet or something to confirm ID"

Sara nodded and made a move to head towards the room, pausing mid step.

"Right, hands off. You do it, I'll be outside"

He watched her leave before heading to the room. Sara stood outside the door and watched as Catherine worked the door handle and door frame, looking for fingerprints that may be used to identify the killer.

"You shouldn't be here Sara."

"Sorry?"

Catherine paused in her task and looked at Sara with a hard glare.

"You should not be here. You should be at the lab doing another case."

"Grissom said I could be here as long as I am hands off"

"Grissom would do anything for us, you know that. It's about time you made your own decisions and you know that this is not the right one."

"Yes it is. I can contribute more by being here then I could in the lab."

"You are move of a risk here then at the lab. Grissom could get fired for going above Ecklie's head, you know that right?"

Sara crossed her arms and returned Catherine's hard glare with one of her own.

"So it's ok for you to be knee deep in a personal case but not for us? How is that fair Catherine?"

"It's not but that is beside the point. You have much more to lose then I did"

"So when you were in the middle of the case with Eddie and the suspected rape you nothing at all to lose? That's bullshit Catherine and you know it. Good to know that someone can see my side of things"

Sara pushed herself off the wall and walked outside needing air. She felt hopeless and it was the worst feeling in the world. She was still trying to figure out what to do when the movement caught her eye. Her curiosity got the better of her and she moved around the corner of the dimly lit alleyway. Melissa seemed as lost as Sara felt but the difference was that Sara wasn't carrying around a large butcher's knife dripping with blood.

"Melissa, what are you doing here?"

Melissa whipped around and looked at Sara with dark eyes. Her glasses were gone, her hair bedraggled and almost as bloodied as the knife that she held in her hand.

"She knew. She knew"

"Who knew?"

"Mom. She knew. Elizabeth and the baby. She knew"

Sara moved a little closer, he hands in front of her.

"What did she know Melissa?"

Melissa started shaking her head, her voice low as she talked to herself.

"Peter was not right for her. The he had sex with her and made her pregnant with his evil seed. She didn't know, she didn't see what I did. How could she do that? How could she do that to me?"

"Melissa, you need to put the knife down."

"He told me he loved me. My pop told me that he wanted to show me how much he loved me but nobody believed me when I told them. Elizabeth did and that was why she was my friend. She didn't hate me for what happened."

Melissa continued on, lost in a circle of her own thoughts and for a moment Sara didn't even think that Melissa knew that she was there. That was until Melissa turned to her, her face a mask of fury and began to scream.

"THEY MADE ME DO IT! THEY ALL MADE ME DO IT!"

Melissa thrust the knife towards Sara but she managed to block it with her hand, the knife sinking into the soft flesh. Melissa screamed again before pulling the knife out and running. Sara made a move to run after her but her head started to spin. She examined the would the best she could, which wasn't very easy considering the amount of blood that was flowing from her hand and landing on the pavement. It was deep, almost the other side of her hand and the pain was incredibly. She started to make her way back to the block of apartments, every step harder then the last before she finally got to the front of Melissa's apartment.

"Grissom!"

"What?"

He took one look at her hand and pulled out his phone, calling the paramedics.

"What happened?"

"Melissa stabbed me"

Sara couldn't stand any more and she found herself sliding down the wall landing hard on the floor. Grissom grabbed her wrist and raised her arm high in the air to try and stem the flow of blood. He took off his jacket, then his shirt which he wrapped tightly around her hand.

"Sara, how do you feel?"

"Dizzy"

"The paramedics are on their way and then we'll get that hand stitched up. Tell me what happened"

"I went outside to get some air and I saw Melissa and followed her. She was ranting and raving and I didn't even think she realized I was there until she swung around and stabbed me."

"What kind of knife was it?"

"Big and sharp. Sufficient enough to kill her mother. It was covered in blood."

"Did she say anything?"

"Just that her mother knew, that Elizabeth knew. She also mentioned her pop and said that he had shown her just how much he loved her. I think she is a hugely disturbed girl."

"We need to find her. What way did she go?"

"I have no idea. After she hurt me I started feeling dizzy and then I headed back here. We're I trouble aren't we?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Ecklie. He's going to love this."

Sara could hear the faint sound of sirens, straining her ears as they got closer and closer. Grissom helped her stand up and go outside to meet the ambulance there.

"Are you coming with her sir?"

Sara shook her head at the round faced paramedic.

"No he's not. Grissom I'll give you a call later ok?"

Grissom said nothing, just nodded slightly and watched them load her into the ambulance. As they drove off, the sirens were silenced and Grissom felt the distinct, heavy weight of dread sit on his shoulders. All hell would break loose once he arrived back at the lab.

* * *

Ecklie broke a new record. Grissom was only in the lab for five minutes when Ecklie burst into his office, his face a deep crimson, his hands shaking with rage. He pushed the door closed with his foot before approaching Grissom's desk. 

"Gil, what does hands off meant to you exactly?"

"She was not working the case. She was getting fresh air when it happened."

"And when she saw the suspect she didn't think to call for back-up?"

"There was no need too"

"Your CSI sees a girl with a bloodied knife and she does not think that she needs back-up?"

"Sara just took the situation into her own hands. It's only a minor injury"

"But this entire situation is far from minor. A CSI, one that was not even meant to be on duty, let alone on a case that has a personal effect on her, gets stabbed while under your watch? You know what this means Gil, don't you?"

Grissom tried to keep his own anger in check, deciding that releasing it would do little more then aggravate he situation.

"You tell me Conrad."

"I have the mayor breathing down my neck over this. He wants you and Sidle to both be punished"

"How? The naughty step?"

"Don't get smart assed on me Gil. I let you take it too far this time. I should have put my foot down. When it comes to Sidle, you cannot be trusted"

"What the hell do you mean by that Conrad?"

"I mean that every time she bats her eyes or quivers her lip, you're ready and waiting to give her what she wants. I also discovered recently that you are living with her. You know what this looks like right?"

Grissom stood and pushed his face close to Ecklie's, daring him to speak that words that would allow his to knock the narrow minded asshole to the ground.

"You tell me?"

"You are in a relationship with a co-worker. You know what they say about fishing off the company pier right?"

"Not that it's of your business but she's only staying with me until the heat comes down from this case. She lives next door to Elizabeth Jennings parents. That is why she is living with me"

"Are you sleeping with her?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but no. Sara and I are coulleges and friends. I would do this for any of my team."

"Either way, consider Sidle and yourself off the case and on suspension without pay until further notice"

Grissom felt his fists curl completely on their own accord. He lashed out without even realizing, his fist connecting with Ecklie's jaw. Worse still, as Ecklie cursed and moaned, he didn't feel on bit of regret. As he walked out of his office, he pushed the files that were piled on his desk onto the floor, some of them becoming smudged with Ecklie's blood.

"Fuck you Conrad"

Grissom ignored the glances that he got as he walked down the hall. He needed to get home.

* * *

Sara was already there when he walked in, Charlie on her lap. 

"How's the hand?"

Sara waved her heavily banaged hand at him.

"Fine. Thirty-nine stitches but not permanat damage. She missed all the muscle and veins."

He could feel her watching him as he moved into the kitchen and removed the six pack of beer from the fridge and proceeded to down half a bottle in one swallow.

"That bad huh?"

Grissom sat on the sofa across from her, kicking off his shoes.

"That bad. You and I are suspended until further notice."

"Shit. He was pissed then?"

"Yup. He also found out that we were living together"

"How did he find that out? I haven't told anyone"

"Neither have I. Maybe someone say us or realized that we keep arriving and leaving together, jumping to the natural conclusion that we were sleeping together too."

"But we're not"

"I know that Sara. It didn't stop Ecklie from jumping to that conclusion."

"I'm sorry Grissom, I know that I should have stayed away but I couldn't. Now we're both out of the loop"

"Not quite. Do you remember the last time I was suspended?"

"Yeah"

"That's the reaction I'm expecting. Nick, Greg, Warrick and Catherine hate Conrad, so I have a nice feeling that we won't be as out of the loop as you think we might be."

"Yeah but we won't be on the case and that's what gets me.'

"You do realize that the case will be closed once we track down Melissa."

Sara sat back, her hand lost in Charlie's thick fur.

"Do you really think that she did it?"

"I'm not sure but she is a very disturbed girl."

* * *

Catherine resisted the urge to hate Grissom for this. As soon as he had stormed off and Ecklie had finished stuffing his nose with toilet paper to stem the flow of blood, he had come to her telling her the news; she was temporary supervisor. She hated the fact that she had gotten the job on Grissom's stupidity. She also hated the fact that she had to spend the time looking away while the rest of the team did their best to keep Grissom and Sara in the loop of the case. Also, her feelings were a little hurt over the entire situation with Sara and Grissom living together and the fact that he never told her. She had sent Nick, Greg and Warrick to do a little more investigating on where Melissa Guthrie was but to no avail. 

Catherine started working her way through the pile of neglected file that had gathered on Grissom's desk but gave up soon after starting, she was too distracted. She never would have thought that Grissom would punch Ecklie. Catherine did not feel any kind of sympathy towards the bald, narrow minded day shift leader but she was concerned about Grissom's reasons behind the sudden burst of violence. She knew that Sara was a sensitive topic when it came to Grissom but when had it become so taboo? What had changed since the last time an outburst like this had happened? She had never doubted Grissom before, had never really had the need to but right that second she did. Had he let his guard down and slept with her? Had he crossed the line that he had promised himself that he never would cross? He was a strong guy, but in the face of Sara, he was nothing more then putty in her hands. That was why he allowed her to stay on the case, which was why she was almost always the focus of his concern. If he had indeed crossed a line, what would it mean for the rest of the team? Catherine liked Sara, she really did but Grissom was her friend first and fore most. He had been there for her through everything and she felt a strange sense of devotion and kinship towards him. But this was something else entirely. There were only two ways the chips would fall at this point. She would either break his heart or something real could happen between them. The question was, would the rest of the team be able to deal with the consequences of their actions? Worse still, would they be able to keep their jobs considering on how much the department frowned upon co-workers being together? Would Grissom risk everything for Sara? He already had risked his job just by allowing her to stay on the case, the suspension that Ecklie had handed down could be permanent and then where would Grissom be?


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N - I'm going to Wellington for a week and I wanted you guys to have the final chapter before I leave. I hope that it ties all the ends in a neat little bow, if not, you know the drill. Reveiw and tell me what you think!_

Chapter Six – No Ordinary Love

Grissom watched Sara as she slept soundly on the sofa, her injured arm over her chest. In a way, Grissom knew the Ecklie was right. He did pull out all the stops when it came to Sara. She had become central in his life and he had no idea when it had happened. Maybe after the lab explosion, maybe it was after Nick got kidnapped and he realized just how important his team was to him. He knew that he had been protective of her but he was the same with the rest of the team too. He just had no idea when Sara had become one that he had placed above all others. He also knew that he was as much to blame for this situation that she was. If he had stuck to his guns and made her stay outside the case, then she would have not been hurt and he would still be working the case. Instead they were both out of the loop.

"Why are you watching me sleep?"

Sara opened one eye to look at Grissom, her face pulled in to a smile.

"I'm not. You just happened to be there when I started thinking"

"Oh. What were you thinking about?"

"Work, what else?"

"You need to relax Grissom. Work is going to be there when you get back"

"It might not be you know. This is not the first time that I have pushed Ecklie too far. If I lose this job that will be it."

Sara sat up a little more on the sofa.

"Don't be silly Grissom. You lose this job and you can pick another one up in not time.

"Sara, you do understand that all of this will have to stop at some point, don't you? Eventually I'm going to stop working and then what?"

"Then you'll teach another generation to do your job."

"It's not that easy Sara. You have more of a life then I do and without this job, I'm nothing. But you don't see that do you? All you see is the rebellion against Ecklie and Elizabeth's killer. There is more to this then just those two things."

Sara moved off the sofa entirely this time, coming to stand in front of him.

"You know what Grissom? You are a self righteous bastard."

Sara stormed out of the room and into her own, slamming the door behind her. Grissom stayed where he was, almost as if he was locked into his seat. He could do nothing; right at that moment he realized that Sara was right. It was he who was losing sight of what was important, not her.

* * *

When he arrived at Catherine's house, he was so tired. He knocked on her door with a heavy hand and waited for her to answer. When she did, she was dressed in track pants and a tank top, her hair mussed. She said nothing just opened the door wider to allow him entry. It was only when he was sitting on the sofa that she began to speak. 

"Why are you here?"

"I'm lost"

"What on earth do you mean?"

"I mean I had a fight with Sara and I realized something. I'm lost. I have no idea what to do"

"How about I make you a coffee and we'll take it from there?"

"Please"

Catherine disappeared into the kitchen and Grissom could hear the clattering of cups and the kettle slowly brought to the boil. He waited, trying to not get lost in her own thoughts before her return.

"Here we go. Now start from the beginning"

Grissom did just that, leaving nothing out. He didn't need to, not with Catherine. She sat beside him, her face expressionless as she allowed him to speak, reserving judgment until he was ready.

"I'm lost Catherine. The case is slipping away from me"

"Then you have to find it again. Apologize to Ecklie and you could be back there beside the rest of us"

"And Sara?"

"What about her? She pressured you into letting her stay on this case and now she's paying the consequences. Sara has to pay for her own actions"

"What about me? I get off with a simply apology?"

"Nothing is simple about apologizing to Ecklie"

"I'm just worried about Sara"

Catherine ran her hands over her face, sighing loudly.

"I like Sara, I really do. But she is big enough and ugly enough to look after herself."

"She lives with me Cath, how am I meant to face her everyday?"

"Tell her to move out."

"But the case-"

"It does not override your sanity."

"How is the case by the way?"

"We have yet to find Melissa. The case has been halted until we do. There is nothing more we can do. You need to call Ecklie"

"I'm not going to call Ecklie Catherine. I stand by my decision"

"To put Sara and yourself at risk of losing your jobs?"

"Ecklie won't fire me"

"Don't be so sure. You have toed the line before and almost lost it."

"Well if I do I do. I was my choice and I really don't want Sara to suffer for my mistakes"

"They were hers too Gil. Stop thinking with your heat and start thinking with your head."

"I'm not thinking with my heart"

"Yes you are"

"No I'm not"

Catherine put her hand over his and spoke slowly as if to a child.

"I'm a woman Gil, I have no idea if you have noticed that but I am. You like Sara, I know that. I have no idea if you do but it's the truth."

"Catherine, I have no idea what you are talking about"

"Yes you do. To put your head back into the game you need to get your head away from her. Get it out of your system or deny it, whatever works, but you need to get back to where you were. It's not going to work otherwise"

"Catherine, I really don't know-"

"Yes you do. Think about it Gil. I know you're sorted it out when I see you back at the lab."

Catherine gave him a little smile and moved down the hall, disappearing into her room. Grissom sat for a little longer, thinking about what she said. He finished his coffee, locking the door behind him as he let himself out.

* * *

Sara was still not out of her room when he returned home. He gathered Charlie's lead and hooked it onto her leash and headed back out the door. He led her down the same way that he had instructed Sara to jog, pausing to sit at a park bench that sat on the side of the path. He watched as Charlie wondered off to check out some trees and allowed himself to get immersed in his thoughts. Was he thinking with his heart? Was he doing the very thing that he had tried to stop himself from doing? Was he holding Sara above everyone else? He had too many questions with no answers to match them. He knew that if he really did listen to his heart as she said he already was, he was scared of what he would find. Was he in love with her or was it nothing more then lust for the forbidden? 

"Hey Grissom"

Sara sat beside him, making him start. She was very good at sneaking up on people.

"Sara, how did you find me?"

"I followed you. I heard you come home and I thought that we needed to talk"

"We do. I just don't know what about yet"

"I do. I need to move out"

"Sara-"

"Hear me out Grissom. Living with you is too much."

"I know that I'm hard to live with."

Sara laughed.

"It's not that Grissom and I think you know that. With our history, it's not the brightest idea that either of us ever had"

"Sara, I wanted to protect you. That's why I wanted you here"

"Protect me from what?"

"Yourself"

Sara sighed and remained silent, her eyes locked on Charlie and the steady moonlight.

"I can look after myself Grissom. I've been doing it for years."

"It was this case Sara. I didn't want to see you slip away from me. I could not watch that happen"

"Grissom, you protecting me could cost you your job"

"Its better then losing you"

"I'm not going anywhere. I just want to find Melissa."

"And we will."

Sara nodded and continued to watch Charlie.

"When is she going home?"

"Tomorrow. I'm going to miss her. You as well"

"I'll visit. I paid for half the shopping remember?"

Grissom laughed, the first one in a long time.

* * *

Sara felt her stomach sink as she watched Grissom hand over all of Charlie's stuff to her owners. Grissom would never admit that he was that upset about the removal of Charlie from his life, but she could see it on his face, he was shattered. It was then that she got the best idea. She slipped from the room and went into her own and continued her packing. She had made a hell of a mess since she had arrived and it took longer for her to pack then she thought it would. She had always had a hard time settling into new places and Grissom's was just that, despite the familiarity she felt with him. When all her things were packed, she pulled her suitcase into the living room and sat beside him. 

"It's my turn to take you out"

"Where are we going?"

"You'll know when we get there"

Sara dragged him to the car and all but pushed him into the passenger side and began to drive. She was excited. Now she had the means to pay him back for everything he had done for her. He looked at her, confused when they pulled up at the front of the pound.

"What are we doing here?"

"Getting you a crappy guard dog"

"Sara, I can't have a dog"

"Why? You had Charlie and it worked out fine. You enjoyed the company"

"Yes I did-"

"This is a present for you from me. You cannot and will not refuse it. Come on, there are more then enough dogs in there waiting for a good home."

He followed her inside and stayed behind as they were led from the front room to the kennels by one of the workers there. There were so many dogs that it was deafening and Grissom felt overwhelmed by the whole thing. It was only when they were near the end that something caught his eye. A large mutt sat quietly, studying them as they got closer.

"Who's this?"

The young woman kneeled down in front of the cage and the dog moved closer to her, licking her outstretched fingers, her heavy tail swinging.

"This is Ruby. She is two years old."

"What's her story?"

"Her owners died in a fire a few months ago. See those bald patches? She tried to save them but couldn't. She has some permanent burns on her stomach but they'll fade soon enough. She's extremely placid, protective and very affectionate"

"Does she bark much?"

"Only when she has something to say. Mostly it's little grunts and moans with this one"

"Can you let her out?"

"Sure"

The young woman unlocked the cage and Ruby stepped out, going immediately to Grissom. He had a hard time deciding exactly what breeds she had in her but she was a beautiful looking dog. She gently rubbed her body against him, pressing her nose into his hand and licking her wrist. He knelt down in front of her and they studied each other.

"Ruby, sit"

Ruby immediately plopped ungracefully onto her hind quarters, giving Grissom a doggy grin. Grissom stroked her head gently, fondling her large ears.

"Wanna come home with me Ruby?"

Ruby's tail swept back and forth across the hard concrete floor, her eyes locked on Grissom. Grissom broke the eye contact and glanced at the young worker.

"I'll take her. She's just what I need."

Sara followed the young worker out to fill the paperwork and leaving the two new friends to bond. She felt proud of herself for once she had done something right that benefited someone other then herself. She signed the papers that made Grissom the official owner of Ruby and watched as Grissom emerged with her by his side from the back room. Ruby seemed to realize she needed to make a good impression. She sat right beside him, her head just below his hand. They made a good pair those two. The quiet man and the even quieter dog.

* * *

When Melissa was finally located, it was in a homeless shelter, not that far from where she had stabbed Sara. She was incoherent and senseless. Brass organized her to get some help, sending her to a care facility for the mentality instable. She was there for two weeks before they were allowed to talk to her again. She was sitting serenely when Catherine arrived, her face blank as she hummed quietly to herself. 

"Hello Melissa. How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Good, thank you. Why are you here?"

"To ask you about what happened with Elizabeth and your mother"

"Oh. What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Start with Elizabeth. When did you fall in love with her?"

Melissa smiled as she slipped back into her memories.

"I loved her the moment she began to speak. She was so intelligent and I knew right then that I had found the one. I never met someone who could beat me at my own mental game. She was amazing"

"So you were angry with Peter then?"

"Of course I was. I hated them all for taking her away"

"So you killed her?"

"I had too. She was becoming one of them. She was one of them at that point. She wasn't Elizabeth anymore, she was someone else entirely."

"How did you kill her?"

"Surprised her after she came home. I told her I needed to talk and then when her back was turned I hit her with a brick I had near by."

"Then framed Peter."

"That was easy. I dropped that sheet of paper in front of him and he picked it up and handed it to me. Finger prints on letter, nice and easy"

"When did Elizabeth tell you she was pregnant?"

"As soon as she found out. She told me before she told Peter. That's why I knew that she would be at the club, she wanted to be with him and raise their kid together."

"But you were jealous?"

"I loved her. I needed her more then Peter did, I certainly loved her more then he ever could. She was everything to me"

"What about your mother? Why did you kill her?"

"She found out about Elizabeth. She read my diary and I knew that I had to kill her. I knew that she could never tell anyone else, so I slit her throat."

"Melissa, you killed three people and assaulted an officer of the law. You are in a lot of trouble right now."

"I don't care about that, I really don't. The one thing I loved is gone now and I'm never getting it back. Do what you will to me because it's no worse then what I am doing to myself."

"I have one other question for you. After you killed your mother, you were mumbling about your Pop. Who is that?"

"My grand father. He raped me for years when I was younger."

"What made hi stop?"

"I started fighting back. I stabbed him with a fork one night and he never touched me again"

Catherine moved from her seat and watched as Melissa returned to her dream like daze. She had all she needed and much more. Unfortunately, Melissa would most likely stay in this hospital for the rest of her life, never truly growing up, stuck in her memories of love and betrayal. She was right. Anything that Catherine did was nothing in comparison to what she had done to herself.

* * *

Grissom was sitting on the sofa, reading a novel as Ruby slept on his lap. She had settled in nicely and they had gotten into a easy routine. He had organized a plan with Travis. In exchange for the tutoring lessons, Travis would walk Ruby while Grissom was at work. It was a perfect solution for when he wasn't home and Ruby being the easy going dog that she was, had liked Travis immediately. Grissom was just thinking about making Ruby and himself some lunch when there was a knock on the door. Ruby moaned as she jumped off his lap, pacing lightly in front of the door. He patted her on the head as he pulled the door open. 

"Sara, hello"

"Hi. Can I come in?"

"Sure."

She gave Ruby a quick rub on the head as she moved inside, taking a seat on the sofa.

"So, I have news."

"What's that?"

"I talked to Ecklie this morning. You're back at work on Monday"

"How did you wrangle that?"

"Told him that it was entirely my fault. Aside from punching him in the nose of course."

Grissom shook his head.

"Sara, it wasn't your fault though"

"I know that but you need to get back to work"

"What about you?"

"I'm off for the rest of the month. But I negotiated to get it paid leave."

"Sara, I cannot and I will not let you do that"

"It's too late, I already have."

"What in the world are you going to do for a month?"

"I'm going on holiday for a little while. I need a break from everything here. I need some space to think."

"Where are you going?"

"An old friend of mine offered me his cabin in Virginia. It's in the middle of nowhere and it's near a lake. I can swim and relax."

"Who's this old friend of yours?"

Sara rolled her eyes at him.

"His name is Andrew and he's gay. He's no threat to my virtue, I promise."

"Ok"

Sara moved a little on the sofa and angled herself towards him a little more.

"Grissom, when I get back, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"About us. I don't know what it is but it's pretty persistent and I need to know if anything could come of it."

"Are you going to be thinking about it too?"

"I don't need to. I already have my answer. I'll tell you when I get back ok?"

"Ok"

Sara stood, leaned forward and pulled Grissom into a hug. They stayed that way for a few moments, enjoying the physical contact and knowing that it was going to be awhile before they saw each other again. To Grissom it felt so strange, usually he was the one that left, not Sara. The tables were turned and he didn't like it in the least. She pulled away first, her hands lingering on Grissom's upper arms.

"Are you at least taking your laptop"

"Yes, that is the one thing I am taking. No cell phone though."

"Will you email me?"

"Everyday. Bye Grissom"

She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and he caught scent of her shampoo on his nostrils.

"Bye Sara"

He said nothing as she left but as she closed the door behind her, he felt lighter. He was not the only one with things to think about and a need to be alone to do just that. She would come back and they would finish whatever had started all those years ago. He was just about to sit down again when the door burst open and for the first time since her arrival at his house, Ruby barked. She stopped as soon as she saw that it was Sara, her tail starting up again instead.

"Sara?"

She said nothing as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. It was everything that he had expected it to be and more. Her lips were so soft and gentle as they toyed with his and she tasted richer then anything he had ever had before. They pulled apart breathless and it took a while before Grissom could gain his ability to speak.

"What was that?"

Sara smiled at him as she slowly headed back towards the door.

"When I get back, we'll pick up right where that kiss left off"

And with that, she was gone, only this time Grissom didn't feel so uncertain about the future. Things were starting to fall into place and after Sara got back, things would be the way they should have been all along. Grissom settled himself back onto the sofa and Ruby placed herself back on top of him, slipping easily into her gentle snores. They spent the rest of the night that way, the quiet man and the even quieter dog.


End file.
